Rural bill $45m for flood damage

By ROSALEEN MacBRAYNE

The cost of repairing flood damage in the rural part of Eastern Bay of Plenty alone is estimated at $45 million.

On-going loss of production and income are included in the latest figures given to the Cabinet by the region's disaster recovery centre.

Also cited are loss of grazing and feed supplements, livestock evacuation, damage to farm buildings, fencing, water supplies, access tracks and culverts, and disrupted milking and milk pick-up.

Between 10,000 and 12,000ha of agricultural land was flooded when up to 450mm of rain fell over a 48-hour period on July 17 and 18.

The Eastern Bay's disaster recovery office is surveying farms and businesses to get a better overall picture of the consequences.

Of 450 farms affected - most on the Rangitaiki Plains - about 111 were expected to take months to recover and 186 would require re-grassing and significant pasture restoration, spokeswoman Donna Young said yesterday. The total pasture area needing to be replaced was 3000 to 4000ha.

She said 6000 stock had been evacuated and it could be up to nine months before they were able to return to their farms.

Fonterra's Edgecumbe dairy factory was operational and expected to start milk processing next week.

It was not known yet what effect the floodwaters would have on the kiwifruit, berry and market flower crops in the area. Some damage had occurred at 14 horticultural properties covering 30ha.

Donna Young said forestry had also felt the impact, with the closure of State Highway 35 forcing logging trucks to travel an additional 120 to 130km through Gisborne to Kawerau.

About 2000 people who used Opotiki and Whakatane as their main centres were cut off from their usual services. Transit said that a cracked section of the highway northeast of Opotiki was open again during daylight after an assessment of landslips.

But the long-term stability of that part of the road was a concern, said Transit engineer Daya Govender.