Kiwi ingenuity keeps East Coast farmers going amid bridge woes

As winter draws near, some East Coast farmers find themselves relying on Kiwi ingenuity to keep their operations running. The looming threat of another season without reliable bridge access hangs heavy over their heads, despite the Government's recent allocation of funds for cyclone resilience in its latest budget.

The Burgess', a fourth-generation Gisborne farming family, are still grappling with the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle after their only access the Burgess Bridge was destroyed.

"This is our main road in and out — it only takes a little drizzle and we’re isolated," Ian Burgess told 1News as he crossed the Hangaroa River.

Left with no other options, the Burgess' had to get creative. Their solution? A flying fox designed by the family, serving as a temporary lifeline to their 600 hectares of sheep and beef farmland.

"It's quite a nice journey actually," remarked Helen Burgess as she hopped into the makeshift contraption, which is operated by Ian Burgess using a quad bike.

"People pay money to do this, and if we didn't have this, goodness knows what would happen."

Yet, despite their innovative workaround, the toll of living without a bridge replacement for over a year is evident.

Ian admits that what was once seen as exciting has now become a burden, both emotionally and practically.

“The novelty has worn off, big time,” he said.

Concerns over animal welfare also weigh heavily on the Burgess family. The inability to move livestock across the river poses significant challenges, especially heading into another winter where they fear being cut off for weeks at a time.

More than 120 local bridges were damaged in last year’s severe weather events. Over 40 have been fixed but at least eight remain destroyed and yet to have funding allocated to be rebuilt.

Gisborne mayor Rehette Stoltz said the council’s having to prioritise jobs as the damage is so extensive.

“We still have eight black bridges we don't have funding for and work will start on them if we can secure funding,” Stoltz said.

“At this stage, we do rely on New Zealand Transport Agency funding as that contributes a significant proportion to the cost.”

Unfortunately for the Burgess', this means their bridge could face a possible four- to five-year wait for repairs.

"If we have to wait five years, I don't know how we can continue as a business," Ian said.

"We're fourth generation. We know this valley, we know the area, we know the river. We know what the solution is; we just need the funding."

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