Flooded paddocks in Hukerenui Rd in Northland on March 27. Photo / Jason Dorday
Flooded paddocks in Hukerenui Rd in Northland on March 27. Photo / Jason Dorday
Northland farmers are hardy and ready to roll their sleeves up should the worst happen, is the message from those on the ground.
Cyclone Vaianu was expected to reach the Far North on Saturday, potentially bringing with it life-threatening winds and heavy rain.
A preliminary strong wind watch hasbeen placed over the entire North Island from 1am until 11pm on Sunday. More updates are expected as the cyclone’s path becomes clearer.
Meteorologist John Law said the longer lead time for the watch indicated the potential severity of the storm.
Federated Farmers Northland president Colin Hannah said an adverse weather events team would have a multi-agency discussion on Friday, when there was clarity on the storm’s path.
He said “we don’t need that sort of volume of rain but, Northland being Northland, [we] will eventually knuckle down and cope with it, that’s the way we are”.
Federated Farmers Northland president Colin Hannah.
Hannah said there were positives and negatives to this year’s weather, including some of the best grass growth some farmers had ever seen.
Most would have feed on hand should the worst occur and maize silage was in the process of being harvested now.
Hannah said people in flood-prone areas like Hikurangi and Hukerenui were experienced and always had alternative plans in place “and they know the risks, and so that’s why they continue to farm there ... they’re very good farmers all of them, there’s not one of them there that doesn’t know what they’re doing when an event like this comes”.
Hannah’s main concern was the stress that built up over multiple events, particularly for younger farmers, “so it’s the human side of these impacts that sometimes we don’t take enough notice of”.
Northland Regional Council councillor Geoff Crawford said if farmers weren’t in a flood-prone area or in steep hill country with a track or two washed out, it had likely been a great season.
But he said it had been “tough work” for some in the lowlands.
Crawford, a farmer himself, regrassed after January’s weather event – and then the weather bomb came last month.
Crawford was particularly conscious of the wind threat, saying “there’s a whole lot of stuff that we’re doing now getting ready for the storm”.
Everything needed to be tied down, including bin roofs. Stray plastic drums needed to be put away, and gates needed to be shut properly.
Brodie Stone covers crime and emergency for the Northern Advocate. She has spent most of her life in Whangārei and is passionate about delving into issues that matter to Northlanders and beyond.
