This photo of the river was taken on February 16, in the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle. Manutūkē farmer David Clark says the lack of a management plan for the river is beginning to show. Photo: Supplied/ David Clark
A Gisborne farmer upset over the district council's lack of care for a frequently-flooded river is calling for action in the wake of devastation from Cyclone Gabrielle.
David Clark's Opou Station backs on to Te Arai River - a 32-kilometre stretch of water which flows from its source in Waingake to Waipāoa River.
Last month the system flooded so badly it submerged whole kiwifruit vines, apple trees and orange trees on orchards near Clark's Manutūkē property.
Te Arai River does not have a management plan and the council admits willow management has been sporadic in recent years.
As a result, saplings have grown into trees on its banks and within the river, creating debris and blockages during rain events.
Clark was philosophical about the fact the river would likely have overflowed during the cyclone even if it had been cleared.
But his focus was on mitigating the "100 smaller floods over the next 30 years".
"There's no management plan for this whole catchment. If there's no management plan, there's no budget and if there's no budget, there's no work plan.
"I could see this was going to happen."
Clark said about three houses were flooded as a result of the river during the January rain event but that number ballooned to as many as 10 during Cyclone Gabrielle.
His message to Gisborne District Council was clear - get on with it.
"You know the problem, you know the lack of management. They need to get a management plan for the catchment, and clear it.
"It's driving me mad watching it. I've watched this river for 50 years and I know how it works. If you don't clear a tree, a little tree grows into a big tree."
In response to questions from Local Democracy Reporting, council community lifelines director David Wilson said his organisation was doing an assessment of the lower Te Arai River in partnership with iwi Rongowhakaata.
River blockages and significant woody debris deposits had been mapped and graded based on risk. Physical works to address the priority blockages began last week, he said.
"A report is expected to go to council detailing the extent of the issue and cost to remedy it.
"In the upper catchment, council and forestry operators are prioritising cleaning up woody debris."
LiDAR (laser imaging, detecting and ranging) and wider aerial mapping was also being undertaken, which would be used for flood mapping, sediment erosion and deposition mapping, and mapping of woody debris location and volume, he said.
Rongowhakaata said it had engaged with the council on a "mana ki te mana basis", and had worked alongside the organisation to assess damage to Te Arai River.
"The taiao (environment) is our measure of wellness and identity, that aligns to our sense of vitality as Rongowhakaata. Flawed ecological, civic and planning history has undone our own papatūtanga (resilience)," it said.
"The Te Arai River is of great cultural and historical importance to Rongowhakaata. The mauri (essence) of Te Arai River represents the essence that binds the physical and spiritual elements of all things together - generating and upholding all life.
"All elements of the natural environment possess a life force and all forms of life are related. Mauri is a critical element of the spiritual relationship of Rongowhakaata whānui to the Te Arai River."
Opou Station’s David Clark in front of Te Arai River, which frequently floods in severe weather. Clark says if a management plan for the catchment is not put in place with urgency, “millions of dollars” in crops could be lost in future rain events. Photo: Paul Rickard/Gisborne Herald
Management of the river came up at a council meeting on Thursday when councillor Colin Alder said there were a lot of "disgruntled Ngati Pākehā out there" who didn't feel they were being consulted.
He said the council had recently met with Rongowhakaata to check the state of Te Arai, but farmers were feeling "left out".
Councillor Nick Tupara objected to the comment, saying Ngati Pākehā did not exist as an entity.
"Rongowhakaata has every right to engage with council on the Arai River, they are the mana whenua for that river.
"Our iwi have a whakapapa to that river, but the farmers do not."
Alder apologised for using the term.
In June 2022, Clark presented at a district council meeting where he accused the organisation of losing control of the river system.
He feared "millions of dollars" worth of crops could be jeopardised if management was not done urgently.
In December, the council turned down his offer to undertake flood mitigation work on the river. It said it could not afford a one-off solution because of funding issues and flood-related priorities in other sections of the region.
Clark offered to complete the job for $100,000, with that amount to be paid back interest-free by the council over a three-year period.
Council staff had concerns over liability and risks associated with the job.
The council has acknowledged the primary reason for overflow at Te Arai River was a lack of funding and maintenance issues.
Local Democracy Reporting is Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air
