Flood spurs Pelorus couple to protect farm
Locals had told the couple a 2012 flood was a 30-year event, so a repeat only 10 years later came as a shock. By Penny Wardle.
Milking cows alongside Te Hoiere/pelorus River is a dream come true for Mason and Becky Coleman-cowie, despite the farm being covered by floodwaters in August last year.
Three months earlier the family of four had moved to Marlborough from Ōamaru with 500 cows, excited to farm their own property, after years of working for others and share-milking.
Then the river swelled, from its bank to the base of their hill boundary, flooding about half of their 200-hectare farm, which was 7km long and only 50m wide in places. Fences, mostly along streams, trapped branches and sticks, then collapsed. There were multiple slips, and culverts blew out, causing $25,000 worth of damage.
Locals had told the couple that a similar flood in 2012 was a 30-year event, so a repeat only 10 years later came as a shock. But they were grateful that the swollen river did not dump gravel or large volumes of silt on their paddocks, which happened to other farms in the area.
The flood accelerated plans to develop a productive farm while managing flood risk. With the 3000km Te Araroa Trail from Cape Reinga to Bluff running along their river boundary, Mason and Becky also wanted to make a good impression on the thousands of people from multiple countries who walked past each year.
“One day I’d like to bring the prime minister here and be proud of the way we are farming, beside one of the cleanest rivers in New Zealand,” Mason says.
Once floodwaters dropped, he climbed slopes above the farm to figure out how a productive dairying business could be developed while managing flood risk. “The height gave me perspective. I could see seeps and where water gathers.”
Mason and Becky built a vision that included spraying weeds along waterways, and fencing so as to keep stock out of streams.
Unimproved slopes on the far side of the farm would be cultivated, subdivided into smaller paddocks, then sown first in turnips followed by permanent ryegrass and clover. Native trees would be planted in boggy areas, to soak up moisture and capture silt.
Knowing that the Government had a multimillion-dollar restoration project to support communities restoring Pelorus rivers and streams, Mason got in touch with Te Hoiere/pelorus Project. Catchment care co-ordinator Aubrey Tai visited and confirmed the couple’s goals aligned with the project’s objectives, so help was available.
Together they looked at where planting and fencing to exclude stock would slow rainwater runoff into the river, and reduce sediment flow into Motuweka/havelock Estuary.
In May this year, Oliver Wade, Marlborough District Council coastal scientist, described the estuary as “one of the muddiest in the country” with Te Hoiere/pelorus River contributing most of the sediment.
Tai said the project would pay the full cost of fencing, planting and weed control, as it was a significant wetland identified in Marlborough District Council plans.
At one end of the wetland was an old sump from a dairy shed used 23 years ago, and native bush grew on the slope above, neighbouring Mount Richmond Forest Park. “Seep from the shed used to run from the sump into the river,” Mason says. “Things were very different in those days.”
J&S Mears Contracting spot-sprayed then planted 9000 native seedlings in the wetland this winter, also building a fence with wire netting and a hot-wire to exclude rabbits, cows and calves. A gate at the downstream end could be opened to let floodwaters through.
On a recent trip to check the planting, the company noticed many treetops had been eaten out, so came back with predator dog Billy, who got on top of the possum problem.
“The contractors will follow up for two to three years, keeping weeds down,” Mason says. “This will become a sanctuary for native birds and freshwater species.”
On the rest of the farm, insurance paid for the replacement of destroyed fences. New areas were being developed and protected, with Mason and Becky providing fencing materials and plants – especially kānuka and mānuka – as time and money allowed. Te Hoiere Project would provide labour, in a cost-sharing arrangement.
Also through the project, the Chapman-cowies got hold of dung beetles which recycled manure through soil. “Only 14 days after being released, they were burying poo where cows had been break-fenced, and in an effluent sand trap, only 500 metres away.”
The couple says they are grateful for the project’s support, recognising it was finite, and that farmers were legally required to fence waterways.
However, with global dairy trade prices plummeting, finishing the job would take time. Costs such as animal health, fertiliser, bought-in feed and labour had to be prioritised to maintain production.
The couple also leased runoff blocks at Ruapaka, adjoining a wetland being restored by Ngāti Kuia with support from Te Hoiere Project, and near Twidles Island.
Here, the Pelorus was taking out the bank “something chronic, with 34m to 40m lost to the river”, Mason says. Gravel buildup on the inside bend was pushing water out to the opposite bank, which had been protected by a wall until funding for protective works ended in 1991.
Despite these challenges, Mason,
31, and Becky, 28, count themselves lucky. They met 20 years ago when their families were employed on neighbouring dairy farms at Hinds in Canterbury. Seven years later they got together and worked their way up from farm managers to contract milkers, and then 50/50 shareholders.
They say they are overjoyed to now be milking cows and raising children on land they love, with plenty of good housing and support from Becky’s family, who have farmed at nearby Linkwater for three generations.
“If we’d tried to buy today with the equity we have, the bank might have turned us down,” Mason says. “We work hard every day and our kids have to come with us, but it's a great lifestyle.”
In two years, Te Hoiere Project had supported 53km of fencing in the catchment, enough to stretch from Kaituna to Rai Valley.
One day I’d like to bring the prime minister here and be proud of the way we are farming.
Studies delve deep
Te Hoiere/pelorus landowners and managers are being asked to share knowledge through two projects, aiming to understand the impact of river management actions on improving water quality and reducing flood damage.
Community and iwi workshops will be held later this year to look at ways to slow the rain’s pathway to the coast, such as building water storage areas, planting trees and restoring wetlands. Anyone interested should email heather@heathercollins.co.nz
Researchers at Perrin Ag Consultants and Manaaki Whenua-landcare Research have teamed up with Our Land and Water to study how today's farming preferences will match with water quality outcomes in 20 years’ time in Te Hoiere and other catchments. To arrange an interview contact jorgia.mcmillan@marlborough. govt.nz.