While farmers and residents in the flood-prone areas called for Environment Canterbury (ECan) to get the shingle out of the river, the fix is not that easy, rivers manager Leigh Griffiths says, adding ECan’s priority is temporary work to give the river some resilience if it rains again,
Of the $2 million spent on repairs to date, 90% of that is temporary work.
“We are not able to start on permanent repairs yet, we want to restore the scheme to what it was as a first step, then what extra we do looking ahead will not necessarily mean we put infrastructure back as it was,” Griffiths said.
“We are not in a position to have these specific conversations; it is quite sensitive with what land ECan does own responsibility for.”
To undertake a full programme of recovery works will require adjusting pre-flood work schedules and budgets to restore critical infrastructure.
“This will exhaust all funding and we will pitch a business case to the central government for national co-investment, but it will take time to secure these funds, business cases take time to put together,” she said.
Griffiths assured farmers there is no plan to reduce the level of protection, if anything increase future protection.
In the meantime, there is risk in the river.
“If we get 50-100mm of rain the river will be out again somewhere,” she said.
One of the worst hit farmers Darryl Butterick says the meeting left him more frustrated.
“It’s the uncertainty; we have been left exposed and vulnerable,” Butterick said.
“There’s no bloody point in fixing up shit and we get 100mm of rain.”
He has been forced to make the tough decision around repairing his farm.
“I’ve pulled all the gear out, stopped clearing paddocks and rebuilding creeks and fences; we can’t just keep spending money we haven’t got,” he said.
“I’m very conscious of running up monstrous bills we can’t pay.
“We pay ECan river rates to protect us; they have failed us and they are not helping us.
“It is disappointing the way they (bureaucrats) are managing this, they are conspicuous by their absence, they just run.
“Yes, Ian Mackenzie (local councillor) has been amazing but these ones that sit in the office have been silent.
“They lack understanding – they don’t get it that as farmers we run a seven-day operation and a cow doesn’t wait to calve or an ewe wait to lamb, while we wait for bureaucrats to make decisions.”
While he is considering a legal approach, Butterick says he is waiting in hope that ECan may come to the party.
“I am hoping ECan will dig in its backpocket and find a few dollars to pay for what is their responsibility, so we can get on and farm with some certainty,” he said.
“We can’t wait months and years, as they are suggesting it might take, so I am not holding my breath.”
ECan councillor Ian Mackenzie says discussions are happening around allowing farmers to clean up areas of river berm, but the issue is not straightforward.
The problem is in the current rating system there is simply not enough money to go around and there is no timeframe to work out what minimal amount of work can be done by landowners.
“To take out a tree or two, or move a bit of shingle, is under the control of the river management team,” Mackenzie said.
“We need another $1m a year to manage the build-up of shingle to ensure flood protection is adequate.
“At the end of the whole exercise we need much better debate on how we go forward.”
Government’s $4m was also called into question, with a clear message it is not enough.
Federated Farmers provincial president David Clark reminded farmers it was said to be a start.
“The Prime Minister did say that it was a start and I will hold her to it,” Clark said.
Ashburton Mayor Neil Brown says the district faces a $5 to $6m bill to repair flood damage to the roading network.
