Whānau across the upper South Island are bracing for another bout of heavy rain, as ongoing clean-up efforts continue following months of destructive weather.
In the Nelson-Tasman region, torrential downpours have left homes uninhabitable, land and livestock swept away, and whānau now battling the onset of illness.
Donna McLeod (Ngāti Rārua, Te Āti Awa), a well-known figure in the Motueka community, has been delivering hot meals to affected families. She says infections are on the rise, with silt contaminated by farming chemicals, waste, and sewage posing serious health risks.
“When people are actually digging the silt out and the mud out of their homes, not wearing gloves or wearing gloves, whatever, any cut or whatever, we’re hearing a lot about people just scratching themselves and get infections, ear infections, and we’re in the middle of winter,” she says.
Economic impact
The upper South Island is home to key industries like vineyards, orchards, and forestry — all of which have taken a hit from the ongoing floods.
Farmers are also facing significant economic losses, with livestock unable to produce due to stress, and meat exports under pressure.
A strong export season can bring in up to $1 million for the region, but Donna McLeod says this year’s extreme weather has left many farmers facing devastating losses.
“It’s lambing season, the lambs are not able to have their babies with the stress. We’ve got milkers up in Tapawera, milking in water still,” she says.
According to McLeod, homelessness is likely to become another growing issue for whānau in the region.
Since the second major weather event earlier this month, hundreds of homes have been assessed, with many residents now being told it could take up to a year before their homes are fully repaired.
Despite the hardships, McLeod says the community spirit remains strong, with many still putting others’ well-being ahead of their own.
“The most common statement is, ‘But there are people worse off than I am. I’ll just take a little bit, because what about the other people?” she says.
Further weather events
Kua puta atu te kōrero i a te ratonga tirorangi mō ngā āhua o te huarere hei te pō nei ki roto o Te Tauihu.
E matapaetia ana e te ratonga tirorangi, ka kaha heke mai te ua, e 150 mitamano te nui, hei te pō nei tae noa ake ki te ahiahi pō, ā, he tohu mataara hoki e iri ana ki runga i ngā iwi o Te Tauihu.
Hei tā McLeod, e whētuki ana ngā tāngata katoa o Te Tauihu, ka mutu, he māori noa tērā āhuatanga.
“The trauma remains. Whether you saw your house being washed away, whether you saw your animals being washed away, whether you had to go to your neighbors and dig the mud out, or whether you found heirlooms on the beach as you were walking that had been washed down by the river.”
