Weather inflicts horrendous damage on Kaipara Hills farms

By Allan Barber allen@barberstrategic.co.nz

The storms, cyclones and floods of the last few weeks have wrought devastating damage to many farms and lifestyle properties in and near the Kaipara Hills, in the area between State Highways 16 and 1. There are more than 20 farms affected, as well as a sizeable number of smaller blocks.

Kaipara Flats farmer Marjorie Blythen said it was already the fourth time their farm had been under water this summer, but the latest flood as a result of Cyclone Gabrielle was the worst.

Normally when their property floods, relatively clean floodwater drains away after about 72 hours, but this time there were slips on some slopes for the first time, while the tide surge from the Hoteo River left dirty water and silt, causing the loss of 40 lambs on the flats.

She also said some of the worst destruction has occurred to properties on the either side of Tauhoa Hill.

Major slips on Danny and Charmaine Lewis’ Tauhoa Road property have destroyed two courses used regularly by the Rodney Sheep Dog Trial Club, leading to the cancellation of its annual trial scheduled for March 4 and 5.

The Northland branch of the Rural Support Trust is in touch with most, if not all, the farmers suffering the after-effects of the successive weather events.

Some have obviously suffered worse damage than others, depending on the impact of a sudden change of wind direction or the volume of rain at the time.

There is also an element of ‘blaming and shaming’ of hill farmers for choosing to farm on what appears to be vulnerable land.

Local trust coordinator Gill Adshead says many of the farms have been in the same family for five or six generations and she is concerned about the psychological, as well as physical, effects of the destruction of large swathes of land, fencing and bridges.

Adshead is available to help with the process of applying for recovery grants announced recently by the Minister of Agriculture Damien O’Connor.

Most of these farmers have been working with Kaipara Moana Remediation, jointly funded by central and local government with matching funds from landowners to fence off waterways and wetlands in mitigation of sediment runoff into the Kaipara Harbour. The trust’s key role is to help with farmer wellbeing, ensuring they are connected with other people, well supported and involved in interests off farm.

It is at times like this that farmers need to be reassured about the importance of their huge contribution to the New Zealand economy and way of life.

It is an undeniable fact that agriculture and horticulture made up more than 80% of this country’s exports last year and should be valued accordingly.