June 30, 2025 • 5 mins
Federated Farmers’ Nelson dairy chairman updates on the devastating flooding in his region.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
It is the story that refuses to go away. Unfortunately,
this week the flooding in the Nelson Marlborough area particularly
bad in the Nelson region. To update us, we've got
the Federated Farmer's Nelson Provincial Dairy Chair Brian Denean great
Irish accent too. I might add, Brian, Hey, look you're
in Murchison. But really the trouble was a bit further
(00:21):
up the road from where you are, right.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Yeah, it hit further north from us, so we were
kind of expecting more rain but it never really eventuated.
We have flooded quite badly where we are in the past,
but we were just lucky we missed it. So I
think it must have come in through the back of
Saint Ana's and then oh lah catchment area just grabbed everything.
And yeah, I think they're two hundred and twenty mils.
(00:46):
I believe.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
Was that at your place?
Speaker 2 (00:48):
No, that was inside and towards Tapaware and Kahatu and
before you get to much Awakre.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
Yeah, and I've heard I've heard rainfall numbers even up
and above that. So around the wat Tapa Wara Kohatu
area is that the worst affected area.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
From literally from Kohatu all the way down through the
Motchueka Valley right out to the before you get to
the sea. So I think that you've got a Kahatu
tapa ware not Amoti, and a lot of lifestyle blocks
as well that are possibly close to the closer to
the river. And you've a lot of farmland that has
been destroyed where the Mochueca River has actually jumped out
(01:27):
of its course and a three aligned itself somewhere else.
So there's a huge amount of work to be done
enter around tape of ware and down the valley.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
Really, and I hear some of the hop farmers are
some of the worst affected.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
Yeah, it will be like people don't realize once the
flood comes through and you've got any barrier, especially if
it's sheep netting, and then you've obviously got a lot
of posts and you've got wiring going through hop gardens.
They're the ones that are going to catch all the debris.
So if you've got an open area, you can see
the flow go through. But once you get a barrier
built up like hot poles, wires, et cetera, all that
(02:02):
debre just clings to it and it causes a lot
of pressure on that.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
Line, then you've been up for a look.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
Yeah. I just went up for a quick look yesterday.
We've just got a number of farmers that have been affected.
So it's just trying to check out what's happening and
what federated farmers can actually do, whether it's along the
feed line, and who needs what fencing. Probably trying to
organize farmers to try and come in and help. As
you know, fencing is quite a specialized skill at times,
(02:32):
so you want those guys in there that can help
out and clean things up.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
Ran it's also a very expensive hobby to partake and
redoing those fences. I hear some of the deary winter
and blocks have been badly hit as well.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
Yeah, there's been a number and luckily I haven't heard
any feedback around stock losses. I think farmers were onto
it pretty quickly. But there's a number of runoff blocks
that belong to day farms that have been hit quite hard,
very difficult to get power back in there. They've only
x amount of feed left to calving. But I suppose
the silver lining is that it happened now and it
(03:07):
actually didn't happen during calving or closer to calving at
least there's a bit of time now to get you
prepare and get ready and you know, get calves on
the gun and start.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
So from a feder added farmer's point of view and
you're wearing the provincial dairy chair ahead for the Nelson region,
does the eight hundred number? What should farmers do if
they're feeling in a bit of a helpless situation? Has
no doubt some of them will.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
Be well, I think really you've got to look at
Rural Support Trust, So I know we've got Richard kent
torn inside in Nelson very good first time contact and
as regards to fed's and if you're looking at farmers,
just look it up and whoever you need to talk
to there, they'll put you on to the right person,
especially whether it's down the feed line, whatever feed is
(03:52):
around and feed coordination or whatever questions you've got and
feds are pretty good at answering and if what they
don't know, they'll put you in the right direction. Same
goes with Rule Support Trust as well.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
Yeah, and Brian, I know a number of South Island
farmers in particular had very good winter reserves and feeds,
so maybe some of that could be donated to the region.
I guess time will tell with that one. Hey with
with the Irish accent. Obviously you're not originally in his illity.
You've been here for a number of years. I remember
you from playing footy back in the day for Nelson Bays.
(04:23):
Is that why you came over here.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Yeah, initially came over to play rugby. I'd kind of
done my bed in Ireland and talked to my old
man over there, came out to New Zealand, played rugby,
and then I just met my now wife and then
we just started farming. So I actually have no farming
background and I had to kind of learn on the
on the trot while starting off as a relief milker
(04:46):
down in Canterbury. So I've come here, We've gone from
Cannabury back up to Nelson, so it feels more like
been up with family once you get back into the
Nelson region. So yeah, it's it's been a good run
for me. Been pretty lucky so that I don't play
rugby anymore, even though Marchison has tried to get me
Oude from time to time. Body is getting a bit old.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
It's pretty hard to retire in some of the small
rural areas. There's only I used to joke there's only
two ways to get out of the rugby team is
to leave town and the other one's not worth thinking about.
But any help, Brian Hey, thank you for some of
your time and look on behalf of all the good
work you guys at Federated Farmers are doing. Well done,
appreciate your work.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
Thank you very much.
It is the story that refuses to go away. Unfortunately,
this week the flooding in the Nelson Marlborough area particularly
bad in the Nelson region. To update us, we've got
the Federated Farmer's Nelson Provincial Dairy Chair Brian Denean great
Irish accent too. I might add, Brian, Hey, look you're
in Murchison. But really the trouble was a bit further
(00:21):
up the road from where you are, right.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Yeah, it hit further north from us, so we were
kind of expecting more rain but it never really eventuated.
We have flooded quite badly where we are in the past,
but we were just lucky we missed it. So I
think it must have come in through the back of
Saint Ana's and then oh lah catchment area just grabbed everything.
And yeah, I think they're two hundred and twenty mils.
(00:46):
I believe.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
Was that at your place?
Speaker 2 (00:48):
No, that was inside and towards Tapaware and Kahatu and
before you get to much Awakre.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
Yeah, and I've heard I've heard rainfall numbers even up
and above that. So around the wat Tapa Wara Kohatu
area is that the worst affected area.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
From literally from Kohatu all the way down through the
Motchueka Valley right out to the before you get to
the sea. So I think that you've got a Kahatu
tapa ware not Amoti, and a lot of lifestyle blocks
as well that are possibly close to the closer to
the river. And you've a lot of farmland that has
been destroyed where the Mochueca River has actually jumped out
(01:27):
of its course and a three aligned itself somewhere else.
So there's a huge amount of work to be done
enter around tape of ware and down the valley.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
Really, and I hear some of the hop farmers are
some of the worst affected.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
Yeah, it will be like people don't realize once the
flood comes through and you've got any barrier, especially if
it's sheep netting, and then you've obviously got a lot
of posts and you've got wiring going through hop gardens.
They're the ones that are going to catch all the debris.
So if you've got an open area, you can see
the flow go through. But once you get a barrier
built up like hot poles, wires, et cetera, all that
(02:02):
debre just clings to it and it causes a lot
of pressure on that.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
Line, then you've been up for a look.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
Yeah. I just went up for a quick look yesterday.
We've just got a number of farmers that have been affected.
So it's just trying to check out what's happening and
what federated farmers can actually do, whether it's along the
feed line, and who needs what fencing. Probably trying to
organize farmers to try and come in and help. As
you know, fencing is quite a specialized skill at times,
(02:32):
so you want those guys in there that can help
out and clean things up.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
Ran it's also a very expensive hobby to partake and
redoing those fences. I hear some of the deary winter
and blocks have been badly hit as well.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
Yeah, there's been a number and luckily I haven't heard
any feedback around stock losses. I think farmers were onto
it pretty quickly. But there's a number of runoff blocks
that belong to day farms that have been hit quite hard,
very difficult to get power back in there. They've only
x amount of feed left to calving. But I suppose
the silver lining is that it happened now and it
(03:07):
actually didn't happen during calving or closer to calving at
least there's a bit of time now to get you
prepare and get ready and you know, get calves on
the gun and start.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
So from a feder added farmer's point of view and
you're wearing the provincial dairy chair ahead for the Nelson region,
does the eight hundred number? What should farmers do if
they're feeling in a bit of a helpless situation? Has
no doubt some of them will.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
Be well, I think really you've got to look at
Rural Support Trust, So I know we've got Richard kent
torn inside in Nelson very good first time contact and
as regards to fed's and if you're looking at farmers,
just look it up and whoever you need to talk
to there, they'll put you on to the right person,
especially whether it's down the feed line, whatever feed is
(03:52):
around and feed coordination or whatever questions you've got and
feds are pretty good at answering and if what they
don't know, they'll put you in the right direction. Same
goes with Rule Support Trust as well.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
Yeah, and Brian, I know a number of South Island
farmers in particular had very good winter reserves and feeds,
so maybe some of that could be donated to the region.
I guess time will tell with that one. Hey with
with the Irish accent. Obviously you're not originally in his illity.
You've been here for a number of years. I remember
you from playing footy back in the day for Nelson Bays.
(04:23):
Is that why you came over here.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Yeah, initially came over to play rugby. I'd kind of
done my bed in Ireland and talked to my old
man over there, came out to New Zealand, played rugby,
and then I just met my now wife and then
we just started farming. So I actually have no farming
background and I had to kind of learn on the
on the trot while starting off as a relief milker
(04:46):
down in Canterbury. So I've come here, We've gone from
Cannabury back up to Nelson, so it feels more like
been up with family once you get back into the
Nelson region. So yeah, it's it's been a good run
for me. Been pretty lucky so that I don't play
rugby anymore, even though Marchison has tried to get me
Oude from time to time. Body is getting a bit old.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
It's pretty hard to retire in some of the small
rural areas. There's only I used to joke there's only
two ways to get out of the rugby team is
to leave town and the other one's not worth thinking about.
But any help, Brian Hey, thank you for some of
your time and look on behalf of all the good
work you guys at Federated Farmers are doing. Well done,
appreciate your work.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
Thank you very much.
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