Frustrated farmers in Canterbury's Selwyn district want answers after storms and high tide surges continue to cause havoc on their properties.
Three quarters of Tim Sanson's 60 acre block is now unusable. Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon
Property owners along the coast have copped extensive damage from saltwater and sand from the adjoining Taumutu Beach breaching nearby seabanks and spilling through paddocks.
There has been confusion among affected locals around who was ultimately responsible for the clean up.
Sand and debris remain scattered through Tim Sanson's 60 acre block, with three quarters of his property now unusable.
"We've only really got one surviving paddock out of seven.
"I know it's not a big farm, but it's ours and we've got a guy that leases it and he's got 45 acres of it that is unusable for between a year to a year and a half."
The knock on effects have been felt along the coastline with the extreme weather causing further drainage issues.
A nearby creek was overrun with sand during a storm last month, causing flooding on farmland which historically has been untouched, Sanson said.
"That's really difficult on those guys because we've got some high producing farms around here.
"Nothing grows after the saltwater has been on there.
"[The land] is that wet that they can't get on there to do any work so it's had a significant affect on a lot of people."
Fellow farmer Kent Tilson has also had sections of farmland inundated.
A long-standing resident in the Southbridge area, Tilson said the problems are the worst he had ever seen.
"I know certainly I had about 15 to 20 acres of young grass that I was depending on for the spring that I won't have anything of."
Tim Sanson says nothing grows on a farm damaged by salt water Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon
Sanson described the wider response from community leaders as limp - with uncertainty around who was responsible for the clean up.
Initial enquiries with the Canterbury Regional Council suggested multiple permits would be required for clearing sand and gravel off his property, he said.
The Canterbury Regional Council said it was working with district authorities to get a better understanding on issues caused by coastal erosion.
Operations director Katherine Harbrow said a consent may be required by owners who had damage before undertaking repair or protection work.
"Coastal erosion is an issue that will only be exacerbated by climate change," she said.
"As such, we are aware that coastal retreat coupled with sea-level rise will increase the likelihood of damage to some coastal properties.
"This makes working with district authorities and other stakeholders important for understanding and clarifying what landowners can do to protect their properties, such as through stopbanks or moving debris."
