Flood pumps still going, all night long

By ROSALEEN MacBRAYNE and ELIZABETH BINNING

Tired Eastern Bay of Plenty farmers are still pumping water from the flooded Rangitaiki Plains around the clock.

Almost two weeks after being swamped by heavy rain, about 20 farms still have "huge lakes" over low-lying paddocks, said Federated Farmers dairy sector regional chairwoman Catherine Bull.

"And it's deep as well," she said. "In some places it is over the fence posts. There's only one way to get that water off and that's by pumping."

Farmers were rostered to monitor pumps and extra tractors had been borrowed or hired to power them.

"They are big pumps that shift a lot of water - but there is a lot of water to shift," said Catherine Bull.

Pumping is expected to continue for another four or five days.

She said there was great relief when Wednesday night's rainfall was less than predicted and when the sun shone yesterday.

At the Shaw farm, where 99 per cent of the 160ha was underwater, a brown lake still topped dozens of fences yesterday.

As Arthur Shaw deals with the problems outside, wife Ailsa tries to salvage what she can in their one-year-old brick home. Wet carpets have been lifted and put out to dry.

Mrs Shaw said the most difficult part had been sending the family's 520 cows to other farms. The first 16 are due back to graze the tiny ridges of land which have been drained.

"If we are milking a full herd by Christmas then we will be doing well," she said.

"The thing that's really been good is the amount of support and kindness out there.

"People have been absolutely marvellous the way they have opened up to help us."

About 450 farms and lifestyle blocks, and an estimated 15 orchards, have been affected in Whakatane and Opotiki districts.

Many farm workers' homes are damaged, as are cowsheds, water races, lanes, fences and drains.

Catherine Bull said between 20 and 50 animals had been lost in the flood and 5000 cows had been shifted out of the area. Grazing was still needed urgently for dry stock, late calvers and young cows.

A rural task force has been established to determine the economic impact on the region.

At a glance

* So far 2850 people have registered at evacuation centres.

* More than 70 evacuees are still in temporary accommodation.

* 141 flood-damaged houses in Whakatane district and five in Opotiki cannot be occupied until repaired.

* Of those, 111 have no contents insurance.

* Landslips have affected 54 homes, of which 15 are uninhabitable and two condemned.

* About 17,000ha of farmland is affected.

* Some roads are still impassable and others remain at risk of slips.

* Fonterra's Edgecumbe factory is closed until Monday.