Author Topic: Drought Declaration likely in Hawke's Bay after Driest-ever January 2017 (Read 5841 times)

JennyLeez · « **on:** February 01, 2017, 02:58:30 PM »

Hawke's Bay is teetering on the edge of a drought as January goes down as being the driest-ever on record in the region.

On average, 5.4 millimetres of rain fell in Napier, 4.2mm in Wairoa and 4.3mm in Gisborne during January - the lowest amount recorded since records were kept, according to Met Service.

Federated Farmers Hawke's Bay president Will Foley said the lack of rain meant it was reaching crunch time for land owners.

"Water is an issue, dams are drying up, bores are running dry and infrastructure, like pumps, are breaking down."

Declaring a drought means farmers are entitled to assistance and tax reprieves from the Government.

The last drought to be declared in Hawke's Bay was in 2013.

More from stuff.co.nz including photos taken in Napier and Hastings:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/88965180/drought-declaration-likely-in-hawkes-bay-as-region-records-its-driestever-january

Photos below taken in Wairoa.

JennyLeez · « **Reply #1 on:** February 03, 2017, 01:17:40 PM »

While Gisborne Water Restrictions are stepped up to Level 2 the Hastings District Council has ramped up water restrictions to level three in Hastings, Flaxmere, Bridge Pa and Havelock North after pockets of homes across the district lost supply during peak times.

Mayor Lawrence Yule said unless demand for water decreased, the council would have to consider upping the restrictions to level 4 - a total ban for all outdoor water use - which has never been issued before.

"We are in a serious situation. We can get through this if the community rallies together. People need to make judgments: having a green lawn and flouting the sprinkler ban is meaning some houses are running out of water during peak times.

The water issues are not caused by a lack of a water, but from pumps drawing water from the aquifer not keeping up with the high demand."

The water restrictions come a day after a total fire ban was issued for all of Hawke's Bay. It means no outdoor fires can be lit without written permission from the region's principal rural fire officer.
The ban includes fireworks, charcoal and wood barbecues, pizza ovens, braziers and chimenea fireplaces, traditional cooking fires, hangi and umu.

Rain fell yesterday in Napier but the tally of around 7mm will only be a temporary respite for Hawkes Bay Farmers and growers.
A sprinkling of 0.6mm fell over Wairoa and Mahia Beach. Needless to say this is of no use.

Rwood · « **Reply #2 on:** February 03, 2017, 06:45:34 PM »

I don't care about lawns. Any town with the sense to have a reliable water supply should cope OK. If not, questions need to be asked about local bodies as this kind of weather is well known in those parts.

If that seems "hard" - my city gets 1250mm of rain a year and double that in nearby catchments - yet in the past it has had a succession of water issues in drier summers. However now that an extra reservoir has been built things are finally almost right - but until work on an extra one in the southern city is completed - a couple of years off apparently - there will still be some exposure.

ato2 · « **Reply #3 on:** February 03, 2017, 10:43:02 PM »

What has now happened in New Plymouth is that we now have permanent water restrictions January 1st to March 31st, regardless of rainfall. The justification is that New Plymouthites use much more water per head than elsewhere in the country and because of the increasing population growth, this will stave off finding further water sources for some more years.
Previously, restrictions were needed roughly every second year or so only on the grounds of lower than normal rainfall/severe moisture deficit creating excessive demand.