Alastair Scott: Plan ahead for El Nino effect

Alastair Scott

As an agricultural region, so much of our employment and economy is reliant upon weather cycles. With weather patterns being harder to predict at times, it is important that we safeguard ourselves as a region with good, forward-looking practices.

We need a collective approach in dealing with issues that affect all of us, rather than facing harsh and adverse conditions alone.

Forecasters are predicting that the strong El Nino conditions of this spring will continue into the summer and autumn of 2016.

While every El Nino is different, this one could rank within the four strongest El Nino events recorded, with reports of sub-surface temperatures reaching five degrees Celsius above normal in parts of the eastern tropical Pacific. In El Nino years, New Zealand tends to experience stronger or more frequent winds from the west in summer, leading to drought in east coast areas and more rain in the west.

To get through this upcoming El Nino, farmers will need to monitor feed very carefully and use water irrigation efficiently, planning ahead for water restrictions.

Unfortunately for the region, we still don't have the necessary irrigation infrastructure to best ride out the tough times.

And as El Ninos are a part of an increasingly harsh weather cycle, we cannot struggle our way through it and not prepare for it to come along again.

In the electorate we have two irrigation schemes in the works for the region, the Ruataniwha Dam and the Wairarapa Water Use Project.

The aim of these projects is to store water that falls in the hills when we don't need it, so we can utilise it for greater production and reliability during dry spells.

Minimum water flows from these dams will ensure water quality is improved during drought condition, maintaining and improving ecosystems and recreational waterways.

In the Wairarapa electorate, more than 20 per cent of jobs are based in agriculture, forestry and fishing.

These projects will have a profound effect on the local economy, particularly during drought.

Support for these initiatives is crucial in ensuring that we safeguard our largest industries, so we need to look at dealing with this issue collectively.

For the current El Nino, I would encourage everyone involved in the industry to look at the recommendations set by the Ministry of Primary Industries.

Their website provides advice on dealing with El Nino, and provides a directory of rural support services. Go to www.mpi.govt.nz/protection-and-response for more information.

Alastair Scott is MP for Wairarapa.