But unlike other similar farming regions in Godzone, Tairawhiti has an “archillies heal” that has become the most significant factor, limiting economic development - while the soils are naturally fertile and respond well to fertilizer, they are mudstone based, which makes the hill country highly vulnerable to large scale erosion after above average bouts of rainfall and associated flooding.
This unique negative feature of an otherwise ideal place to grow top livestock has not been helped by poor local body planning of the obvious remedy for the hill country erosion problem - the introduction of “un checked” and in some cases, poorly managed pinus radiata forests to some of the Country’s most highly productive grazable undulating and even semi flat land.
This rapid expansion of the forestry estate across what would normally be considered “no go” areas has resulted in what can only be described as “desecration” and rightly so amongst the more traditional 5th generation farming entrepreneurs of the region.
Yet, because this rapid expansion was politically fuelled, mainly by the Labour Government’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets, any attempt to correct the damage done to the highly productive flats after the floods of 2023 was simply a case of closing the door after the horse had bolted.
Furthermore the recovery was not helped by a Government-led “coverup” in the form of a “Clayton’s” Enquiry set up supposedly to establish who and what was to blame and if possible, recommend management measures that would help to ensure this type of disaster never happened again.
Unfortunately, as one of the farmers who, at the time, lived and fattened livestock at the “epicentre” of the flood vulnerable area (after 3 years with no farm income, l have just finished restoring my property back to its full productive capacity), we appear to be no further ahead at the local Council level trying to sort out a plan managing the established forests and roading infrastructure that must incorporate enforceable resource consents.
One of the main contributors to the Gabrielle flood damage caused by large volumes of forestry slash arriving on the river flats during and after the floods was the inability of Council to enforce resource concents that would have limited the amount of slash getting into the forestry streams that led to the main river basins. (the Hikuai and Uawa Rivers).
As a personal friend of the Gisborne Mayor, Rehette Stoltz, it was difficult watching her on a recent Network News report struggling to oversee the introduction of a workable compromise solution with the Forestry owners that would not only help reduce the threat of future forestry related flood damage but, perhaps more importantly, ensure the survival of the forestry industry itself as a major part of the regional economy.
There is no question that, in order for that to happen, some form of peaceful coexistence must be established between the forestry and livestock farming industries.
Some are suggesting that as much as a 40% reduction in the area currently used for livestock farming on the more marginal hill country must occur (most of it being permanently retired and planted in either natives or permanent pines - both of which would still qualify for carbon credits so it is not all bad news).
From a local resident of the East Coast’s point of view, these discussions between interested parties are being looked upon with anxious anticipation and a justifiable amount of scepticism.
We simply can’t afford to allow them to fail and, at the moment, there is good reason to think they might.
In my humble opinion, Tairawhiti has the potential to become, per head of population, the most affluent region in the Country bar none - but if they don’t get this one right, there is also the distinct probability that it will slowly descend into becoming “Tokoroa by the Sea” - with no disrespect to the good people of Tokoroa.
I kid you not!
Clive Bibby is a commentator, consultant, farmer and community leader, who lives in Tolaga Bay.
6 comments:
When I was a pupil at Te Hapara School in Gisborne we were taught that the Poverty Bay flats are an alluvial plain brought about by material washed down from the hills.
Hence the reason why the soils are naturally fertile is due to the erosion in the hill country. I expect the erosion has increased due to clearing the land for sheep farming.
That may not be the case in Tolaga Bay and it does not necessarily change Clive's problem with the Council. But I think it is worth mentioning, nevertheless.
Engineering is based on science, primarily physics which is a description of nature (physis) at its most fundamental. Engineering must be based on reality, because if it is not, what is being engineered does not work.
That points to a benefit of engineering and science, because it must be the same in all countries and cultures. Engineering and science bring the people of the world together; particularly Europeans and Asians.
And here we are, in New Zealand, forcing ourselves apart by whatever means we can find. That is wrong and the people who are orchestrating it are deranged.
The reason why they are doing it is because they refuse to admit the reason why Maoris cannot do STEM is because they are cognitively deficient; they cannot understand European STEM like the Asians have.
So, they are bringing everyone else down to the Maori level and wrecking New Zealand in the process.
That is just mind-bogglingly stupid.
I know what will happen. The problem will build until the Prime Minister has to do something. Then he will say he will fix it, but instead he will fiddle with it. That will delay things, but it will still continue until New Zealand is wrecked.
Once trashed it may not be possible to get back up again.
Yes, Gisborne has its problems, and their resolution will be no easy task, let alone making it the most prosperous region in the country. Gisborne has two great natural vulnerabilities – erodible hill, often steep, country, and rain bombs from tropical-originated cyclones, both these being referred to in the piece. They’re factors man can’t fix.
Much of the vulnerable land was being converted from pasture to forestry prior to Cyclone Bola, but this accelerated through government policy post the cyclone. This involved a change of land ownership, which complicates desired, if not mandatory, landuse change. It’s easy to look back on this post-Bola drive to plant assumed to be commercial pine forest, but the options were very narrow. Today other species may be considered, but in purely commercial terms, radiata takes some beating. In any case, notwithstanding the post-harvest slash problems in more recent floods, has it been a bad thing for the Gisborne economy? So the problems, then, are huge, and so let’s not be too hard on successive Gisborne Councils in their endevours.
We should also not regard the Gisborne landscape off the fertile plains as all pine forest. Great portions of the hills remain in pasture, especially south of Tolaga Bay, as a cursory look at Google Earth indicates.
And while I have no doubt the people of Tokoroa are ‘good’, though we can assume no better or worse that the residents of any other town, it does Tokoroa an injustice to cite it as the go-to example for disparaging comparison.
I've looked at those massive mature radiata forests on the north end of the East Coast, and thought wow, when they burn it will be unstoppable.
And they will, nature has always used fire to regenerate.
Until those hills regenerate, the slips and slides will be enormous.
Clive, Ewan's comments were on topic, yours weren't.
Speaking of not being 'on topic', my second comment above on engineering and STEM was intended for another post. My apologies for any resulting confusion.
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