It had been either deluge or drought on the Kaikoura Plains since the November 2016 quake.
Farmers reported some bores have dried up while others areas were now more suitable for wetlands.
About 30 rural landowners from the Kaikoura Plains and Inland Road area met at Donegal House last week to hear more about the Kaikoura Plains Recovery Project.
It was allocated $600,000 over three years from the Ministry for Primary Industries’ Earthquake Recovery Fund.
Project manager and Environment Canterbury land adviser Jodie Hoggard said it was so wet across parts of the Kaikoura Plains the council and industry groups like DairyNZ and Fonterra were looking to Southland and Waikato for advice.
One Kaikoura farm owner reported 60% of his property was too wet to farm and was working with the regional council on an acceptable way to spread consented effluent.
Water levels had been “ridiculously high” since the quakes and a wet winter hadn’t helped, she said.
“People are saying ‘my normal’s not looking normal any more’. How do we work with it?”
Kaikoura District councillor and farmer Tony Blunt, a member of the recovery project’s governance group, said it would be beneficial to get Lidar data from ECan to show the change of levels in paddocks so the information could be passed on to farmers.
They would then know of any new flood hazards and if and where they needed to put in new drains, extend old ones and which parts of their farms were undrainable.
ECan land management adviser Michael Bennett said everyone needed to use a number eight wire mentality to get the most out of the funding.
"We have to be a bit creative, remain practical and not get too flash or too technical with the ideas to get the most out of the funding, otherwise the money will be used up quickly."
MPI’s Kaikoura fund was originally set up to be used on hill country but it became evident Kaikoura Plains farmers were as good a fit, if not better.
Other members of the plains recovery governance group were Mark Hislop, Simon Mackle, Catherine and Rod Lamb, Blunt and Gina Solomon. The group was looking for another community representative, preferably from the plains area.
Interested parties could contact Hoggard on 027 551 5902 or jodie.hoggard@ecan.govt.nz.
The launch of the Kaikoura Plains Recovery Project was on October 18 at Donegal House from 7pm.
