The Country 17/06/25: Helen and Ian Burgess talk to Jamie Mackay

These Cyclone Gabrielle-hit farmers in the Gisborne region are still waiting to get full farm access after their bridge was washed out in early 2023.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
One of the best things about field Days is meeting farmers,
real farmers. Here's a couple of farmers I met through
Rowena who had done a story on them about a
year ago through Farmstrong. This is a Gisbond farming couple
who are basically stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Their bridge has been washed away, their only form of
access to their farm. Enn and Helen Burgess join us.

(00:24):
Are you facing your third winter guys? Without a bridge?
Are your only way across the river at this stage
other than going a very long winded way over a
neighbor's farm track and across his bridge is via flying Fox.
Did you go out on the Flying Fox to get
to Field Days?

Speaker 2 (00:40):
Helen Burgess, Yes, it's exactly how we got across, and
it was raining and we ended up with stilt on everything,
but we did it and we got to see you.

Speaker 1 (00:51):
Oh well, I'm pleased to see that. Our eyes met
across the room and Rowenna said, you've got to talk
to these farmers, okay. And you're something like a fourth
generation farm on this farm Inland. I think you're halfway
between we're Gisbon and Laikerri Mowana. You're in the back blocks.
There were attempted to walk off after this. I mean,
farming is a struggle enough when things are going well,

(01:13):
this must be a real impediment to progress.

Speaker 3 (01:17):
Yeah. No, we're definitely not keen to walk off. We've
been here for four generations. We've actually been in the
district for nearly one hundred and sixty years, and on
this particular farm for one hundred and twenty years now.
So yeah, I mean there's a there's a Yeah, it's
deeply entrenched in us that you know, the land is

(01:41):
is very special to us. But beside the point, it's
a very good farm, you know, like if it was
a really tough farm to run, then I think we
would have considered moving on. But yeah, it's we've spent
our whole life building this, you know, building this air
set up, and we want to stay here.

Speaker 1 (02:03):
Does the bridge service any farms other than yours?

Speaker 3 (02:07):
No, it doesn't. No.

Speaker 1 (02:08):
Well, I'll ask the obvious question, and I know the answer,
but I'm going to throw it out there. Why aren't
you to s build a bridge yourself.

Speaker 3 (02:15):
The expense because it's the distance is about forty five meters,
so that puts it into a completely different brackets. So
we're looking at at least two and a half million
to build a bridge. So we feel that we deserve
it because you know, we've put millions back into the
community over the one hundred and twenty years that we've

(02:36):
been here.

Speaker 1 (02:37):
Fair enough now, it was the previous bridge that got
washed away in cyclone. Gabrielle was built and looked after
by the Gisbon District Council. They're not having a bar
of a new bridge. How are your negotiations going there?

Speaker 3 (02:51):
Yeah, we're sort of getting the acur passy on to Helen's.

Speaker 1 (02:53):
Okay, we've got Helen at the other end of the
living room, a bit of separation by mobile phone, so
we don't get feedback Helen. I hope you heard that question.

Speaker 2 (03:02):
Yes I did. Yeah. Well, they are doing what they
can and they're sympathetic, but the message that always keep
coming across is that they don't have any money, and
we hear that phrase all the time. But the frustrating
thing for us is seeing money spending places that perhaps

(03:24):
it doesn't need spending and are of course that we
talked to the council and as being said, well, we
have we create enough in and we are economically an
asset to give them economy. We're not a drain and
we at this point in history, we need we need help.

Speaker 1 (03:45):
Okay, are there other farmers post cyclone? Gabrielle and exactly
the same situation for you? Have you got like a
support group? You can't be the only ones with a
bridge washed out that hasn't been replaced yet.

Speaker 2 (03:56):
Well as far as we were aware, and it took
our own networking to find each other. We have formed
a group called a Bridge in Carafferty, and there were
originally eight bridges that were gone. They've all gradually had
solutions and we're now left, i think, with just the
two of us, with the other bridge that he mentioned

(04:19):
earlier that has a farm and a lifestyle block on it.
So it's the two of us that are left, and
we seem to fall between all the craps, all the
funds and organizations and whatever. We seem to sit outside

(04:40):
of that.

Speaker 1 (04:41):
What's your next porter call? Do you just have to
be the squeaky wheel?

Speaker 3 (04:44):
Oh?

Speaker 2 (04:45):
Absolutely no, we are and we have had the council
tell us that there is still a possibility of getting
funding and let's hope that that does happen. We we
will keep fighting until it does happen. Actually, because we're
not going anywhere. We can't go anywhere. We're here, so

(05:05):
we'll keep fighting. And we have heard there are certain
things I'm in the fire, but nothing confirmed.

Speaker 1 (05:15):
So hopefully the Gisbone District Council is taking note of you.
Plea there, look, you have my absolute sympathies. Rowena said,
you guys have got a great story. And I know
you can get out on the summer when the river's low,
but when it's high at this time of the year,
it's the Flying Fox or nothing. You're braver than me.
I'm scared of heights.

Speaker 2 (05:32):
Ella, Well I am a little bit, but I have
no choice. Though. It's amazing. So since the cyclone, the
things that we've we've done that we wouldn't We wouldn't
believe in a million years. We did. We do we have.
I mean I stood up in front of a chamber
of counselors and spoke and before that I wouldn't even

(05:53):
say thank you at a birthday party.

Speaker 1 (05:55):
Well there you go. I guess it brings new meanings.
Doing the weekly shop for the groceries, the Flying Fox
look in and Helen Burgess, I wish you all the
best and good luck, and you fight to get your
bridge back. You're a productive piece of land. We need
as much income as we can from the land, and
please don't plant it and pine trees. I'll see you later.

Speaker 3 (06:15):
It will be the last thing we'll do.

Speaker 1 (06:18):
Good on you.

Speaker 3 (06:19):
Bye bye, thank you, bye,