Following heavy rains during the second week of June, the government has classified the flood damage around the Tolaga Bay area of Gisborne as a medium-scale event, Minister for Agriculture and Rural Communities Damien O’Connor and Associate Agriculture Minister Meka Whaitiri have announced.

During the storms, the water level of the Hikuwai River rose three metres and passed flood-warning levels within half an hour – worse than forecast – leaving farmers with little time to prepare, according to O’Connor.

“The area’s infrastructure, farm land and plantation forestry was significantly damaged, with silt and forestry debris washing up over farmland and damaging bridges,” O’Connor said.

The medium-scale designation enables a range of recovery assistance measures that could be brought in. These can include resourcing for rural recovery co-ordination, and resources for on-farm cleanup.

“The bigger picture is emerging that it’s not just about cleaning up the immediate damage and stock losses. It’s about support to our communities and how to feed stock over winter when the pasture and winter crops are now under silt and water,” Whaitiri said.

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