Drought declared on Coast

Prolonged dry conditions have prompted the Government to declare a drought in two districts of the South Island’s West Coast.

Minister for Agriculture and Rural Communities Damien O’Connor yesterday issued a ‘‘medium-scale’’ adverse event classification to the Grey and Buller districts.

They are the first South Island districts to be declared in drought this summer and follow parts of the lower North Island declared just before Christmas.

‘‘While last week’s rainstorm left parts of coastal New Zealand drenched, the famously wet West Coast has been struggling through an unusually hot, dry start to summer and missed out on the muchneeded rain,’’ O’Connor said in a statement.

An ‘‘extremely wet winter’’ left many farmers unable to grow pasture or crops for spring. The early and unusual dry start to summer ‘‘turned West Coast pastures from swamp to concrete’’, he said. ‘‘We are keeping a watching brief on neighbouring areas.’’

O’Connor said farmers needed to plan for the worst, but he hoped forecast rain would break the drought before government help was needed.

It is the second time the Buller and Grey districts have been declared as being in drought – the first was in April 2013.

Niwa figures show, as of 9am Tuesday, soil in much of the region was drier than normal. Westport has had 27.6 mm of rain so far in 2018.

Tourist town Franz Josef was placed on water restrictions at the weekend. Contractors were tanking in water.

On January 2, Reefton residents were placed on water restrictions.

The drought classification gave the Rural Support Trust and other recovery organisations funding of up to $50,000 to help affected farmers. Other measures could include tax flexibility and income help. The classification would last six months unless things changed substantially.

Ahaura dairy farmer Mike Havill said the drought starting affecting his 280-hectare dairy farm about two weeks ago.

‘‘Just a lack of rain from Christmas onwards has really taken its toll on the pastures.’’ Milne said farmers were cropping about a third of what they would normally get in baleage.

Beef and Land’s Phil Smith said the West Coast usually relied on nature providing water without the need for irrigation like the eastern side of the South Island.

Some West Coast dairy farmers would be forced to cut back to once a day milking due to a lack of feed.

It can be stressful not only on the stock but also on farmers and their families, he said.