Heavy Damage To Wairarapa Land

Press, Volume C, Issue 29610, 5 September 1961, Page 17

Heavy Damage To Wairarapa Land

(Neu> Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, September 4. As their land slowly clears from its second serious flood in a month many Wairarapa farmers are finding they are facing heavy losses from land and property damage all over again.

Mr R. Stout, of Pirinoa, said tonight that twice 400 acres of his 500-acre farm had been covered in water. Parts which had not drained from the last flood had been under water for more than four weeks. •'lt will be another 10 days to two weeks before the last of the water runs off,” he said, “and by then I will probably hare to resow much of my pasture.” Miles of fencing destroyed by slips also needs replacing. At Wangaehu, one of the worst hit areas, one farmer lost more then £lOOO worth of fencing due to slips. “However, taking all in all,” said Mr Harry Robinson, also of Pirinoa, "we were luckier this time than we were last. Most of us had our stock on leased grazing away from the worst flooding areas so there was very little loes in that direction." Tonight, large areas of the Wairarapa were still covered but the water was draining slowly. Lake Wairarapa is expected to reach a 7ft 6in peak late tomorrow morning and after that the waters should drain off rapidly. From The AtaSeen from the air at midday today, the lower Wairarapa from about level with Pirinoa into the distance at Martinborough was a dreary flood, a vast expense of yellow-grey water, broken by patches of higher ground, pressing hard on homesteads and farm buildings and covering miles of roadway. In general, fence lines were just dear. The deepest flooding seen today was at the area about the Ruamabanga bridge, where the bridge settlement was completely cut off, and the roadway to Lake Ferry deep under water for many chains. According to a Masterton Press Association message, one farmer found two-day-old lambs can swim. Moving stock on to high ground out of reach of the flood, a Martinborough farmer, Mr J. Balmer, found his way blocked by a sft wide stretch of water. “I tossed over several lambs and the ewes followed. Then a couple of lambs—no more than two or three days old—leapt in and swam across. I couldn't believe my eyes. I did not think lambs could swim at that age." As was the case last month Pukeo, Pahautea. Dyerville and Pirinoa farmers have big areas of land under water. Dairy and beef stock and grown sheep on moot holdings in the lower Wairarapa were shifted to higher ground without loes. Stock Leases The suddenness of the week, end storm caused near-panic among many north Wairarapa farmers. Heavy stock looses were feared. But in spite of the severity of the flooding the number of deaths among the lambs was not as big as expected. Most of the stock lost died from exposure. In the Kopuranga. Mauriceville, Mauriceville West and Mangamahoe districts, sev. oral farmers recorded more than 6in of rein. Swollen by the rain, rivers in this district burst their bonks. Gullies on farm pro. perties became water courses and hundreds of acres of flats were covered with water, submerging fence poets and portions of the roods. Losses were "remarkably small con. sidering the severity ot the floods’* settlers said.

up trees at Miaurieeville gave proof of the height of the flood, described by most farmers as the worst they had ever had in the district and much more severe than that of last month. Mrs I. Jackson, whose husband’s property is in high, rolling country along Jacksons line, 12 miles north of Masterton, said they had lost about 150 lambs. Mr A. McDonald, who farms in the same areas as the Jacksons, said he had “never seen flooding like it. Water was feet ueep over most of the low ground.” Mrs J. Knight, of Puaranga. about 10 miles north of Masterton, said: “We lost only a few sheep and lambs. My husband saw several washed away by the flood right in front of him, but couldn’t do anything about it. We have been here since 1939 and we’ve never seen anything like this before.” Several farm houses in Mangamahoe, 15 miles north of Masterton were surrounded by water. Stock losses were not believed to have been exceptionally high. Although farmers had not completed their counts, hill country farmers in the area were concerned with the amount of top soil they had lost during the flood. Slips and floods damaged many fences. Repairing them will take some weeks.