More support for flood-affected farmers and growers as Motueka residents pick up the pieces

The government has unlocked extra support for flood-affected farmers and growers in Nelson, Tasman, and Marlborough, following last week's deluge.

Agriculture Minister Todd McClay said it has been classified as a medium adverse event, as the weather damaged livestock fences, culverts, and tracks, and left pasture and orchards covered in silt and flood debris.

The government is making up to $100,000 available to support and coordinate recovery efforts.

The classification also unlocked further support like tax relief, and enabled the Ministry of Social Development to consider Rural Assistance Payments and activating Enhanced Taskforce Green.

"Last week's deluge damaged infrastructure such as livestock fences, culverts, and tracks, and left pasture and orchards covered in silt and flood debris," McClay said.

"The government is making up to $100,000 available to support and coordinate recovery efforts, including up to $20,000 for the Top of the South Rural Support Trust. The remainder of the funding will be made available to other organisations that work with farmers and growers on-the-ground."

The funding is on top of $100,000 already contributed by the government to the Mayoral Relief Fund.

It comes as Motueka Valley residents are clearing up properties, taking stock of damage and getting ready for the potential of another deluge of rain later this week.

The area has been one of the hardest hit by flooding after the Motueka River burst its banks.

Seventeen homes were deemed uninhabitable following the local state of emergency in Nelson and Tasman.

Scott Bowler was in his house bus named Tumbleweed near the Motueka River when a landslide came down on it during Friday night's storm.

"It was a pretty scary experience actually because I thought my bus, my house and all that was going to be washed into the river," he said.

Bowler had a pet goat named "Yeeetus" [spelt with three e's to mimic the sound he made] and a Great Dane named Ares.

Yeeetus, caused a stir when the water started coming down.

"The goat disappeared while we were all moving the cars and I thought oh here we go, the goat's gone," Bowler said.

"But once we were all finished the goat came running back to the bus and he was happy as."

He planned to move his bus closer to the coast in preparation for rain expected later this week.

Ashton Wood owns an apple orchard near the Motueka River and said the water is the most he's seen during the 15-plus years he's been farming there.

He called on authorities to bolster flood protection up the Motueka.

Wood said that $2.2 million worth of work on the flood banks had been done from Woodmans Corner near the river to the township of Motueka.

"That probably needs to be done the length of the river," he said.

He lost one hectare's worth of apple trees and the water washed away fence posts and hundreds of storage bins.

"I have never seen rain like it, in terms of a space of one hour the whole area was running with water," Wood said.

He said he'd just have to see what happened with regard to more rain expected in the coming days.

When RNZ arrived at Naomi Pickett's lifestyle property she was cleaning up items that had washed onto the land which included dead livestock, an exercise bike and crates.

Pickett spoke about how she felt when the water started rising on the weekend.

"I felt like I was in Waterworld, you know the movie? Just like there above it all.

"It was quite daunting really cause we have done this before, and we could see that there was a lot of silt in the water and a lot of stuff and that I was going to be a big clean up."

She said the silt made her nervous about the prospect of more water later this week.

"We are kind of concerned that because of the silt the water won't go in [to the land] and cause more flooding."

Motueka Valley resident Bianca Fraser said the nearby river was loud when the rain was coming down on Friday.

"It just sounded like the ocean was in our backyard."

Fraser said her property was high enough above the river that she did not think she'd be affected by the additional rain forecast for Thursday, but she worried about her neighbours.

There have been 373 weather-related insurance claims from Friday onwards across, home, contents, motor and commercial policies, with some claims as far north as Auckland.

IAG executive general manager of claims, Stephannie Ferris, said with claims still to come through, she expected more homes would be deemed uninhabitable.

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