The owner of a fruit and vegetable shop in Westport says he's having to let $25,000 dollars worth of produce rot, despite his best efforts to give it away to people in need.
After finding out his shop would need to close during the lockdown, Pat O'Dea, who is the former mayor of Buller, planned to put all his produce out on the street for people to take.
Civil Defence staff told him he couldn't do that because of the health risk, so O'Dea approached the Salvation Army, who began making food parcels and delivering them to peoples' doorsteps.
They stopped after Civil Defence asked them to disinfect the fruit and vegetables first.
O'Dea told RNZ reporter Katie Todd it defies logic that liquor can be delivered, but not fresh, free fruit and vegetables.
