The fourth major weather event in only 12 months has farmers in northern Tairāwhiti struggling to cope with the physical and mental challenge of rebuilding their properties.
The region has borne the brunt of severe La Niña weather events that had some properties doused in over 3m of rainfall last year.
Now they face the prospect of future challenges if further predicted severe weather events come to pass this month.
Charlie Reynolds, acting president for Gisborne-Wairoa Federated Farmers, said farms between Tolaga Bay and the East Cape have been in the direct firing line for 12 months, and damage for most extends to losses of pasture, fences, sheds, feed and crops.
“What really got us this time was the Tuesday night when there was a real sudden, intense rainfall event that bought about 40mm in half an hour. This is what really loosened up the forestry slash and logs that came downstream,” Reynolds said.
He said the viability of continuing to farm would “absolutely” be on the minds of some farmers.
“If you now know every year you are going to get a decent storm and your river flats get trashed and kilometres of fencing will be lost, you would think about not re-fencing, yet are required to under regulations.”
He knows of operators who have lost entire crops of maize, and about 1000ha of export-quality squash crop have been washed away.
But Reynolds was cautious about blame being laid on the forestry sector in the wake of the latest event.
“Until we get eyes up in the sky we really do not know who to blame,” he said.
The subject of washed-out forestry slash is a sensitive one in the region.
“The good thing is that the forestry industry contractors have been offering gear to help clean up,” Reynolds said. “There are also contractors fuming that it may be the actions of only a few that are ruining it for everyone on the coast.”
He said some in the industry have responded to pressure to change practices.
He pointed to one forestry operator that now extracts logs on a 25-year logging consent, a far more measured pace than the typical 2-3 year consents that demand operators go fast and hard to fell trees.
“They will take a 50ha block out, then come back and replant, and will not come back to harvest another block for six to seven years. So in an event there are trees there to catch the runoff.”
He said he had observed plenty of timber in this event that could not be attributed to forestry, including a complete willow tree under the Gladstone Road Bridge logjam in Gisborne.
“There is timber there that could relate to work done 20 years ago.”
Forestry Minister Stuart Nash defended the forestry sector after the latest event. Speaking to RadioNZ he acknowledged, however, that it does mean forestry has to be done differently in areas like Tairāwhiti.
He also pointed to rule changes that enable areas planted in Pinus radiata to be transitioned into permanent native forest over time.
But Reynolds said those with tonnes of timber dumped on their land and farms would not care too greatly what the exact source may have been.
He acknowledged there are tensions on the coast over forestry’s impact, both in terms of environmental effects and the level of rural depopulation being experienced – “and tensions will be up again after this”.
He said for farmers further up the coast facing the prospect of another expensive clean-up and who are also surrounded by pine trees this could be the last straw to prompt their exit.
Reynolds urged farmers to take advantage of what assistance there is, including the Inland Revenue Department’s income equalisation programme, and Ministry of Social Development support.
He said Taskforce Green has also proved a useful source of much-needed labour. This time around he hopes it will kick off even sooner to help with key jobs such as re-installing fences.
“It’s also important to make sure you talk to your bank and your accountant about what the impact of this is going to be on the farm business.”
