Gisborne District Council has lost control of a river which frequently overflows and causes major issues for growers in the region, a resident claims.
Trees clogging Te Arai river following heavy rains earlier this year. Gisborne District Council has admitted more work needs to be done. Photo: Supplied/ Local Democracy Reporting/ David Clark
Last week, David Clark presented to the council on Te Arai River — a 32km length of water south west of the city that flows into the Waipāoa River.
Having gained access to information on the river, Clark says the council doesn’t have a management plan for it, which had proven problematic in the wake of recent weather events.
The river flooded in March following severe rain, resulting in four orange orchards, two kiwifruit orchards and three domestic properties being covered in fast flowing water, he said.
"This is an ecological disaster on a large scale, with a total infestation of willows which are clogging the river, causing it to back up and overflow through domestic properties and orchards.
"I think at this point, the Gisborne District Council has lost control of the management of the river system."
Worried there was no budget for conducting work on the river system, Clark said he had looked back on council files and confirmed his fears when he could not find a management plan.
A main factor in the flooding events was unmanaged trees along the bank, which created significant blocks and clogged the flow during storms.
There had not been any substantial willow management in the river since 1985, he said.
Te Arai River runs for 32km, southwest of Gisborne. Photo: Supplied/ Gisborne District Council
Clark said "millions of dollars" worth of crops could be jeopardised in the future if something was not done now.
"I don't understand how the river system has fallen through the cracks of the management system of the Gisborne District Council."
The river flooded most recently on 24 March, when the region was hit with severe weather, specifically near Papatu Station, a few kilometres from Manutuke.
A flash flood delayed the harvest of some kiwifruit by two to three weeks, he said.
His presentation drew questions from councillors, some of whom called for action.
Larry Foster labelled it a serious issue, and Bill Burdett urged the chairman to push council staff into action.
"In the urgency of work needing to be done, and the potential for damage to crops and issues there, I think you as the chairman should demand some urgency from staff over this."
A site visit with the council's director of lifelines David Wilson had been arranged for next month, and councillors were to be in attendance too.
Council's director of liveable communities Michèle Frey assured councillors this wasn't the last they would hear of the issue.
"We appreciate him [Clark] bringing it to our attention and the best we can do is the site meeting."
A view along Te Arai river in 2019, when contractors cleared trees from its banks. The council's management of the river system has come under fire from a concerned resident who linked it to orchards flooded in March following severe weather. Photo: Supplied/ Gisborne District Council
Gisborne District Council four waters operations manager Chris Hopman confirmed the council began contracting out the maintenance of the region's rivers in July 2019, and Fulton Hogan picked up the contract.
The council had cleared blockages on the Te Arai River in 2019 and 2020, with some willow management also undertaken.
"We've done a little bit there, but I'll admit that we haven't done a lot," Hopman said.
In May and June of this year, arborists continued some of that work.
"We are fully aware of the situation and have been for a number of years," Hopman said.
"We're seeing that it is an issue, and we should be working away at it. We have identified the problem, we've looked at it… and we're working our way through it."
Local Democracy Reporting is Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air