February 16, 2026 • 7 mins
We catch up with a former Minister of Agriculture and Speaker of the House, who these days farms on Banks Peninsula, in the worst flooding event in over 40 years (more than 250 mms in the last 24 hours).
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Yet lots of rain drops falling on lots of heads
right around the country. The storm has moved south from
the North Island and is now pummeling Canterbury and heading
down south to where I'm domiciled, Dunedin, Banks Peninsula particularly
hardly or particularly hard that I thought, what farmers do
(00:22):
I know on Bank's Peninsula? I know, Sir David Carter,
former Minister of Agriculture, former Speaker of the House these days,
farming on Banks Peninsula has been for a long long time.
David put this rainfall event in some sort of historic
perspective for me.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Good afternoon, Good afternoon, Jamie. Well, we've been here for
just over forty years and we've never seen another like
this in excess or We've measured two hundred and fifty mils,
but at one stage their own cage overfloid overnight, so
neighbors are reporting up to three hundred. The interesting thing
is it didn't start to sort of halp us four
called to five last night, so it's been an absolute
(01:02):
weather bomb.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
Yeah, huge rainfall numbers, and are you basically cut off
Banks Peninsula.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Parts of a lot of the road to cut off.
We personally were cut off We've got a huge tree
that's come down over our drive. We can't get out.
I've got a dig of organized to come and tomorrow
and we'll try and clear that mess. My daughter lives
further down the drive. She's been able to get out
to the other farmland we own and check stock. So
we're flooded, but we haven't lost anything of us water
(01:31):
supply and that sort of thing to the house because
we're pipelines across the creek have just gone. We've never
seen creeks as raging as they are this done.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
And what about landslips on your hells. You won't have
had a chance to get out and have a look.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
I've had a bit of a look. Yes, definitely got
some of those. Yep.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Okay, I've just got to push notification through. A state
of emergency has been declared and Banks Peninsula. So yeah,
it is pretty bad, David Carter.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
It's bad, But I've got to say in the last
hour or so, the rain seas staff the flooding that
we're experiencing. We're at Teddington, which is between Governor's baron
Diamond Harbor. The water levels are going down, but that
might be different. Open places like Little River for example.
So the declared at state of emergency. It doesn't surprise me.
As I said at the start of this, this is
(02:20):
the worst or the biggest rainfall I've ever seen in
forty years plus on the peninsula.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
And your sheep and beef farming on the peninsula. But
what about the poor buggers and I use that word respectfully,
who are arable farmers on the on the Canterbury Plains.
They just can't catch a break.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
They're having the worst They're having a horror year. It's
the only way you could describe it to these guys.
So if you're in red meat, your sheep and beef
on benks maninsa. Frankly, I've been scouting to everybody until
today that this is the best season we've seen. We're
still green, we're normally brown and worrying about drought at
this time of year. But mid Canterbury, JASKI, it is
getting hammered. I feel for those copping guys. The price
(02:59):
is there, aren't is buoyant as we find in the
dairy sector or the red meat sector. Not only have
we've got the prices against them, and now I've got
whether where in many cases harvest will be written off completely.
It's tough.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
Yeah, absolutely, it's tough. Have you known sheep and beef
farming to be better? Even wool, even strong's bouncing back up?
Speaker 2 (03:21):
No, I don't think I have. I could say I've
ever had as much confidence I've got Now. What I
like is the outlook still looks pretty promising for a
few years. I'm not saying it's going to be good forever,
but it's an international supply and demand story in my mind,
and right around the world, sheep farming hasn't been profitable.
People respond with rational economic decisions and move into other enterprises.
(03:45):
That means the world's supply is greatly diminished, and we're
seeing a resurgence of interest in our red meat. Long
may it last?
Speaker 1 (03:52):
Well, it's a last man standing scenario. If you hang
in there for long enough, you'll be rewarded.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
And deservedly. So what we've got to do is make
sure the government get the numbers to get the free
trade agreement through with India. And that's another to the.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
Sheep well I've got. I was going to ask you
about that because it would be fair to say you
and Winston have clashed swords on numerous occasions in the past.
What do you make of his posturing around the free
trade agreement?
Speaker 2 (04:19):
It's all around votes at the next election. What he's
doing is found a point of difference. It's got no
logic whatsoever. And of any sheep farmer anywhere in New
Zealand thinks they'll oute in New Zealand. First, i'd have
to have rocks in their head. But frankly, he's all
about positioning himself to the next election and as soon
as the numbers are finally counted, if he's in a
strong position, he'll use that strength to his advantage.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
He would never go with labor again, though, would he.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
I wouldn't trust that at all. It'll be a matter
of what's the best deal for Winston Peters personally.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
Oh hard harsh words. Maybe we know him well, Yes,
I know you do. I know you well. He's very litigious.
Is that the word?
Speaker 2 (04:59):
Yes? Yes, indeed, as.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
You found out. Anyhow, well, we'll watch Winston with a
keen eye. And the other one that I do catch
up with you and you've done a great job, you
and your team around the christ Church or the Canterbury
A and P Show, which was under threat of collapsing completely.
You've renovated that. It's had a renaissance. This last year
(05:22):
was second year back. It was much better than the
year before, and this year promises to be even better.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
We're working on that already. The board's working very very
constructively with the large General Committee, which is effectively the
volunteers that make the show work. We're going to make
a few changes. We probably won't go with a raw
show status this year because that eliminates the opportunity for
us to actually get a naming right sponsor, which is
something we're working on now. What I'm determined to do
(05:49):
is make sure that that Canterbury amp Is gets back
to a financially sound position so it's there for the future.
And well last year we made he's more profit. If
you get bad weather on any of those show days,
you're at risk. It's a risky business that we're in.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
We're going to be chatting very shortly to Andy Borland.
I'm sure you know Andy, he's the Andy Well yep,
the chief executive of Scales. Of course we're running. Did
you go to Lincoln Yes? Indeed, okay, well you should
you should be going down to the Wannaker Show because
we're having a Lincoln fundraising dinner there. We're going to
talk to Andy about that. I'll keep my power to
dry on that one. But is Wanaka now has it
(06:27):
now surpassed christ Church is the biggest AMP show Now?
Speaker 2 (06:32):
I don't think it has. I think we put that
to bed last year with a very successful show. Wannacker
is a great show, no criticism or Wanaka, and it's
been well organized by a man called Keith Keper who's
done a fantastic job. He's also giving us advice at Canterbury.
We've got to make sure that Canterbury AMP becomes the
premier show not only in New Zealand but in Australasia.
And that's the intention. And I won't be able to
(06:55):
make the Wannaker Show this year because I'll be too
busy mandering fences and bloodgates because of the Serene Jamie Well.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
Our thoughts are with you and all the other Banks
Peninsula farmers and all the arable farmers on the Canterbury Plains.
They are tough times. Indeed, Mother Nature, she's a cruel mistress.
David Carter, Sir David Carter.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
It's the challenges of farming. We enjoy it, and that's
why we do it.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
If it was easy, everyone would be doing it. There
we go, David Carter
Yet lots of rain drops falling on lots of heads
right around the country. The storm has moved south from
the North Island and is now pummeling Canterbury and heading
down south to where I'm domiciled, Dunedin, Banks Peninsula particularly
hardly or particularly hard that I thought, what farmers do
(00:22):
I know on Bank's Peninsula? I know, Sir David Carter,
former Minister of Agriculture, former Speaker of the House these days,
farming on Banks Peninsula has been for a long long time.
David put this rainfall event in some sort of historic
perspective for me.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Good afternoon, Good afternoon, Jamie. Well, we've been here for
just over forty years and we've never seen another like
this in excess or We've measured two hundred and fifty mils,
but at one stage their own cage overfloid overnight, so
neighbors are reporting up to three hundred. The interesting thing
is it didn't start to sort of halp us four
called to five last night, so it's been an absolute
(01:02):
weather bomb.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
Yeah, huge rainfall numbers, and are you basically cut off
Banks Peninsula.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Parts of a lot of the road to cut off.
We personally were cut off We've got a huge tree
that's come down over our drive. We can't get out.
I've got a dig of organized to come and tomorrow
and we'll try and clear that mess. My daughter lives
further down the drive. She's been able to get out
to the other farmland we own and check stock. So
we're flooded, but we haven't lost anything of us water
(01:31):
supply and that sort of thing to the house because
we're pipelines across the creek have just gone. We've never
seen creeks as raging as they are this done.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
And what about landslips on your hells. You won't have
had a chance to get out and have a look.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
I've had a bit of a look. Yes, definitely got
some of those. Yep.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Okay, I've just got to push notification through. A state
of emergency has been declared and Banks Peninsula. So yeah,
it is pretty bad, David Carter.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
It's bad, But I've got to say in the last
hour or so, the rain seas staff the flooding that
we're experiencing. We're at Teddington, which is between Governor's baron
Diamond Harbor. The water levels are going down, but that
might be different. Open places like Little River for example.
So the declared at state of emergency. It doesn't surprise me.
As I said at the start of this, this is
(02:20):
the worst or the biggest rainfall I've ever seen in
forty years plus on the peninsula.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
And your sheep and beef farming on the peninsula. But
what about the poor buggers and I use that word respectfully,
who are arable farmers on the on the Canterbury Plains.
They just can't catch a break.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
They're having the worst They're having a horror year. It's
the only way you could describe it to these guys.
So if you're in red meat, your sheep and beef
on benks maninsa. Frankly, I've been scouting to everybody until
today that this is the best season we've seen. We're
still green, we're normally brown and worrying about drought at
this time of year. But mid Canterbury, JASKI, it is
getting hammered. I feel for those copping guys. The price
(02:59):
is there, aren't is buoyant as we find in the
dairy sector or the red meat sector. Not only have
we've got the prices against them, and now I've got
whether where in many cases harvest will be written off completely.
It's tough.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
Yeah, absolutely, it's tough. Have you known sheep and beef
farming to be better? Even wool, even strong's bouncing back up?
Speaker 2 (03:21):
No, I don't think I have. I could say I've
ever had as much confidence I've got Now. What I
like is the outlook still looks pretty promising for a
few years. I'm not saying it's going to be good forever,
but it's an international supply and demand story in my mind,
and right around the world, sheep farming hasn't been profitable.
People respond with rational economic decisions and move into other enterprises.
(03:45):
That means the world's supply is greatly diminished, and we're
seeing a resurgence of interest in our red meat. Long
may it last?
Speaker 1 (03:52):
Well, it's a last man standing scenario. If you hang
in there for long enough, you'll be rewarded.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
And deservedly. So what we've got to do is make
sure the government get the numbers to get the free
trade agreement through with India. And that's another to the.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
Sheep well I've got. I was going to ask you
about that because it would be fair to say you
and Winston have clashed swords on numerous occasions in the past.
What do you make of his posturing around the free
trade agreement?
Speaker 2 (04:19):
It's all around votes at the next election. What he's
doing is found a point of difference. It's got no
logic whatsoever. And of any sheep farmer anywhere in New
Zealand thinks they'll oute in New Zealand. First, i'd have
to have rocks in their head. But frankly, he's all
about positioning himself to the next election and as soon
as the numbers are finally counted, if he's in a
strong position, he'll use that strength to his advantage.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
He would never go with labor again, though, would he.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
I wouldn't trust that at all. It'll be a matter
of what's the best deal for Winston Peters personally.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
Oh hard harsh words. Maybe we know him well, Yes,
I know you do. I know you well. He's very litigious.
Is that the word?
Speaker 2 (04:59):
Yes? Yes, indeed, as.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
You found out. Anyhow, well, we'll watch Winston with a
keen eye. And the other one that I do catch
up with you and you've done a great job, you
and your team around the christ Church or the Canterbury
A and P Show, which was under threat of collapsing completely.
You've renovated that. It's had a renaissance. This last year
(05:22):
was second year back. It was much better than the
year before, and this year promises to be even better.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
We're working on that already. The board's working very very
constructively with the large General Committee, which is effectively the
volunteers that make the show work. We're going to make
a few changes. We probably won't go with a raw
show status this year because that eliminates the opportunity for
us to actually get a naming right sponsor, which is
something we're working on now. What I'm determined to do
(05:49):
is make sure that that Canterbury amp Is gets back
to a financially sound position so it's there for the future.
And well last year we made he's more profit. If
you get bad weather on any of those show days,
you're at risk. It's a risky business that we're in.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
We're going to be chatting very shortly to Andy Borland.
I'm sure you know Andy, he's the Andy Well yep,
the chief executive of Scales. Of course we're running. Did
you go to Lincoln Yes? Indeed, okay, well you should
you should be going down to the Wannaker Show because
we're having a Lincoln fundraising dinner there. We're going to
talk to Andy about that. I'll keep my power to
dry on that one. But is Wanaka now has it
(06:27):
now surpassed christ Church is the biggest AMP show Now?
Speaker 2 (06:32):
I don't think it has. I think we put that
to bed last year with a very successful show. Wannacker
is a great show, no criticism or Wanaka, and it's
been well organized by a man called Keith Keper who's
done a fantastic job. He's also giving us advice at Canterbury.
We've got to make sure that Canterbury AMP becomes the
premier show not only in New Zealand but in Australasia.
And that's the intention. And I won't be able to
(06:55):
make the Wannaker Show this year because I'll be too
busy mandering fences and bloodgates because of the Serene Jamie Well.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
Our thoughts are with you and all the other Banks
Peninsula farmers and all the arable farmers on the Canterbury Plains.
They are tough times. Indeed, Mother Nature, she's a cruel mistress.
David Carter, Sir David Carter.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
It's the challenges of farming. We enjoy it, and that's
why we do it.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
If it was easy, everyone would be doing it. There
we go, David Carter
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