June 29, 2025 • 5 mins
The former President of Hort NZ comments on the Nelson flooding (wearing both his horticulture and dairy hats) in terms of the potential impact on the region and the support available.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
But Julian, rain kicks it off out of the Nelson region. Julian,
you've been there a long time. How bad was this
one historically?
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Hi, Jamie, this is right up there. Historically the locals
are saying longest than living memory for those areas that
were really hard hit. So I'm expecting sort of a
one and one hundred year of EAP.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
Well what sort of rainfall numbers did you get? Because
I think, for instance, and he'll update the number, no doubt,
Blair McLean over in Marlborough over the Hill, I think
they were into the two hundreds.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
What about you guys, Yes, definitely in the mid to
high two hundreds. Rangers probably generally two fifty to three hundred.
And in Golden Bay they hit half a meter.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
Wow. So what about the damage because we've seen and
you'll have to remind me of the place they had
it on the news last night, seventy K's Inland that
got absolutely wiped out. The place helped me here, khatu
is that where?
Speaker 2 (01:06):
Yeah, where they've lost the state Highway Sex and still
trying to put it all back together.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
Yeah, so you know, terrible numbers.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
Yeah, very high, It was quite uneven so those people
who got smashed got really smashed, and it was it
was big rainfalls, you know, plus twenty five mills an
hour for you know, quite long periods like six hours,
and then it stopped and then it came back and
again for a good measure. So those higher areas had
(01:40):
quite intense rainfall. And the rain's got to go somewhere,
so it goes downhill.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
Yeah. Absolutely. The some annoying noise in the background is
that you or me?
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Now it's me. Unfortunately it's a phone going off on
a desk of it never once stopped.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
Okay, well, thank you very much. It doesn't take much
to put me up. Carry on.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
So the Motorwacre Valley, the lower Military and the Dovedale
areas were particularly bad hit, badly hit. There's road closed
is everywhere. There's bridge approaches gone, there's houses that have
water through it, the sheds that have gone under water.
(02:23):
There's vehicles, tractors, various orchard equipment. There's been a lot
of land lost and top sort of stripped, particularly in
the Motorwaca Valley. You can't get to it at the moment,
but neighbors and friends have told me that yeah, it's
(02:45):
as bad as I've ever seen.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
Yeah, and you know, it's one thing having damages defenses,
but fences can be rebuilt. Striped topsails are much harder
ask it is.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
And this was areas that were past you. It was
like bareground. But to see it just taken away as
if a scraper had been in there, It's just amazing.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
It's got to take a long time to recover from this.
What sort of support is available on the ground for
farmers and growers and just everyday people in your region?
Everyone got clubbed.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
Yes, well, we've kind of coming together as communities and
neighbors do in these sorts of times, rural supporters getting
out and about and I know Richard Kentthorn has activated
that and he's bringing together his advisors and that will progress.
(03:41):
And due course, fed farmers, hart end zed have all
been active in the area and the Mayor's kicked off
a mirror relief fund to help. But it's really people
is what we need. We need resources and I'm sure
the local council would dearly love a bit of a
(04:03):
hand with from central government to fix some of these
key roads that we have in the region that have disappeared.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
Yeah, and do you need it. I mean, you obviously
do need a rain radar, but would that have helped
I mean, this this flood was reasonably well signaled, was
it not. They were talking about evacuations on Friday.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
They were yes, yes, so definitely, we would certainly appreciate
the rain radar that will tell you where that the
areas the rain is going to target. And I think
some people that thought it was going to be just
a one in five year event were shot but it
(04:46):
was a one and one hundred year event. That's the
bit Jamie, that we dearly need that additional view of
what's actually happening out in the region so we can
get resources in the right places.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
I guess if there's one positive, and I'm not going
to sound like too much of a Pollyanna, now's not
a bad time of the year to get a flood.
There's no good time, I know that. But I mean,
if it was spring, for instance, you're lambing or carving,
You've got trees, vineyards, trees actively growing. They're in a
state of dormancy at the moment.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
Yes, you're dead, right, Jamie. If there was one good
thing that came out of it, as the timing we've
got no crops out there other than the local veggie growers,
which haven't been as affected as the rest.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
And there's that, well it might be time to kick
you to touch. Hey listen, I know you've flat out
You've got a lot on your plate, even with your
own farming operations, So thank you very much for your time.
We do appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
Julian Rain, Thanks Jamie.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
There we go.
But Julian, rain kicks it off out of the Nelson region. Julian,
you've been there a long time. How bad was this
one historically?
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Hi, Jamie, this is right up there. Historically the locals
are saying longest than living memory for those areas that
were really hard hit. So I'm expecting sort of a
one and one hundred year of EAP.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
Well what sort of rainfall numbers did you get? Because
I think, for instance, and he'll update the number, no doubt,
Blair McLean over in Marlborough over the Hill, I think
they were into the two hundreds.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
What about you guys, Yes, definitely in the mid to
high two hundreds. Rangers probably generally two fifty to three hundred.
And in Golden Bay they hit half a meter.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
Wow. So what about the damage because we've seen and
you'll have to remind me of the place they had
it on the news last night, seventy K's Inland that
got absolutely wiped out. The place helped me here, khatu
is that where?
Speaker 2 (01:06):
Yeah, where they've lost the state Highway Sex and still
trying to put it all back together.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
Yeah, so you know, terrible numbers.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
Yeah, very high, It was quite uneven so those people
who got smashed got really smashed, and it was it
was big rainfalls, you know, plus twenty five mills an
hour for you know, quite long periods like six hours,
and then it stopped and then it came back and
again for a good measure. So those higher areas had
(01:40):
quite intense rainfall. And the rain's got to go somewhere,
so it goes downhill.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
Yeah. Absolutely. The some annoying noise in the background is
that you or me?
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Now it's me. Unfortunately it's a phone going off on
a desk of it never once stopped.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
Okay, well, thank you very much. It doesn't take much
to put me up. Carry on.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
So the Motorwacre Valley, the lower Military and the Dovedale
areas were particularly bad hit, badly hit. There's road closed
is everywhere. There's bridge approaches gone, there's houses that have
water through it, the sheds that have gone under water.
(02:23):
There's vehicles, tractors, various orchard equipment. There's been a lot
of land lost and top sort of stripped, particularly in
the Motorwaca Valley. You can't get to it at the moment,
but neighbors and friends have told me that yeah, it's
(02:45):
as bad as I've ever seen.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
Yeah, and you know, it's one thing having damages defenses,
but fences can be rebuilt. Striped topsails are much harder
ask it is.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
And this was areas that were past you. It was
like bareground. But to see it just taken away as
if a scraper had been in there, It's just amazing.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
It's got to take a long time to recover from this.
What sort of support is available on the ground for
farmers and growers and just everyday people in your region?
Everyone got clubbed.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
Yes, well, we've kind of coming together as communities and
neighbors do in these sorts of times, rural supporters getting
out and about and I know Richard Kentthorn has activated
that and he's bringing together his advisors and that will progress.
(03:41):
And due course, fed farmers, hart end zed have all
been active in the area and the Mayor's kicked off
a mirror relief fund to help. But it's really people
is what we need. We need resources and I'm sure
the local council would dearly love a bit of a
(04:03):
hand with from central government to fix some of these
key roads that we have in the region that have disappeared.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
Yeah, and do you need it. I mean, you obviously
do need a rain radar, but would that have helped
I mean, this this flood was reasonably well signaled, was
it not. They were talking about evacuations on Friday.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
They were yes, yes, so definitely, we would certainly appreciate
the rain radar that will tell you where that the
areas the rain is going to target. And I think
some people that thought it was going to be just
a one in five year event were shot but it
(04:46):
was a one and one hundred year event. That's the
bit Jamie, that we dearly need that additional view of
what's actually happening out in the region so we can
get resources in the right places.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
I guess if there's one positive, and I'm not going
to sound like too much of a Pollyanna, now's not
a bad time of the year to get a flood.
There's no good time, I know that. But I mean,
if it was spring, for instance, you're lambing or carving,
You've got trees, vineyards, trees actively growing. They're in a
state of dormancy at the moment.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
Yes, you're dead, right, Jamie. If there was one good
thing that came out of it, as the timing we've
got no crops out there other than the local veggie growers,
which haven't been as affected as the rest.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
And there's that, well it might be time to kick
you to touch. Hey listen, I know you've flat out
You've got a lot on your plate, even with your
own farming operations, So thank you very much for your time.
We do appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
Julian Rain, Thanks Jamie.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
There we go.
Popular Podcasts
Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club
Welcome to Bookmarked by Reese’s Book Club — the podcast where great stories, bold women, and irresistible conversations collide! Hosted by award-winning journalist Danielle Robay, each week new episodes balance thoughtful literary insight with the fervor of buzzy book trends, pop culture and more. Bookmarked brings together celebrities, tastemakers, influencers and authors from Reese's Book Club and beyond to share stories that transcend the page. Pull up a chair. You’re not just listening — you’re part of the conversation.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.