Farming after the Westport flood

• Published date: 09 September 2021
• Publication title: West Coast Farming Times, The

The pair purchased their 70ha, 147 cow property in Victoria Road directly upstream of Westport, on the first of June. They moved onto the property two weeks earlier, the day after the death of partner and father Ray 'Happy' Pearson.

"The move was planned but his death was unexpected," Karen said. He had been living at the O'Conor Home for some time.

Then, on June 16 and 17, Westport was hit by a '100-year flood' which badly swamped the notoriously wet farm.

"All of the farm was covered except for the dairy, tanker track and the house. We managed to put the cows on the tanker track before they helicoptered us out at 4.30pm on the Saturday," Lisa said.

"We had already been in contact with the Civil Defence. We'd asked to stay until high tide but then the police rang and said we had to go," Karen said.

"I didn't care about the house and the farm so long as the kids and the animals were safe," Lisa said.

MPI helicoptered them back to the farm the next day to care for the stock.

A former farm owner, John Milne, told the Milligans that by their description of what had been covered by floodwaters, it was the biggest flood he had heard of there.

"He said they had certainly picked the right place to put the house," Lisa said.

"Our first calf was born during that flood.

We've named her Monsoon, or Moni for short. She and her mother spent the first three days in the calf shed," Lisa said.

Their immediate concern now is the pasture they have lost and the quality of what is left.

"Twelve to 15ha is currently unusable," Lisa said.

"And the quality of what is left is poor.

The top half of the grass seems okay while the other part down to the soil is heavily covered in silt," Karen said.

Their 12ha run-off in Craddock Drive has been decimated by the salt water that flooded it. Karen previously raised calves on the block.

"It is going to take us a long time to recover," Karen said. They were grateful that the dairy shed equipment was already raised off the concrete and was not damaged.

"The pit filled up with the backflow from the effluent ponds," Lisa said.

The pair have been very grateful for the support they have been given from all sorts of diff erent places.

"The previous owners, Chris and Vicky Jennings, have been amazing. They are clearing fences and re-fencing where needed. Carol Keoghan and Rural Support have been great.

"Alan Berry and one of his farm workers from Grey Valley spent a day helping. We've got our badly gouged out races being fixed by Pearsons...