Wairoa flood review findings released
A review into the Wairoa flooding event on 26 June 2024 has found the flood was caused by a combination of factors leading to the river backing up and overflowing.
Record heavy rains which hit the area last Saturday caused local streams and the adjacent Manawatu River to rise and they are only slowly receding.
Murray Moxham who owns the farm says he had no warning of the sudden breach of the stop bank and he and his staff had to quickly move the cows 650 cows to what little high ground there in on the property.
The modern dairy shed is partly underwater and is impossible to access because of the floodwaters.
Moxham says he’s fortunate he’s not milking, but says because he is an organic farmer he can’t move the stock to another property. He says it will likely take several days for the water to recede.
A breach in stopbank floods Murray Moxham's farm.
One cow manages to stay away from the rising floodwaters on Murray Moxham's farm.
The flooded milk shed.
