increase font size
The small amount of rain that fell over the Christmas-New Year period has made very little difference to river flows in the Canterbury area, according to Environment Canterbury.
Surface water science manager Tim Davies, says that river flows around the region remain low, with continued dry weather looking set to continue.
"Alpine rivers have been higher from earlier nor-west rain but they are now starting to drop away," he says.
"River flows from Ashburton State Highway 1 south to the Waihao River are low with most rivers on restriction. Flows have been dropping over the past week but with no significant rainfall forecast these rivers may well start to drop into 'Very low' conditions."
Water restrictions are in effect in South Canterbury with the Mackenzie District Council placing restrictions on residents in Twizel and Fairlie Kimbell. Restrictions are also in place for the Timaru District Council area.
A Water Shortage Direction for the Opihi River and its tributaries – which includes the Opuha River and Lake Opuha – expired on 30 December 2014. This means the flow rate for the Opihi River at Saleyards Bridge can now be reduced to 3500 litres per second as per the Opihi River Regional Plan, but it is currently flowing at 5500 litres per second.
Environment Canterbury is advising irrigators to refer to their restrictions web page to make sure they are not breaching their consents and taking their water allocations either above the allowable amount or when a surface water body is on partial or full restriction.
For current river flow information go to www.ecan.govt.nz/services/online-services/monitoring/river-flows/Pages/River-flows-south.aspx
Mid Canterbury Federated Farmers arable chair, Bevan Lill, said Beef + Lamb NZ data indicated that for the last six years, the average arable return on investment was about 0.8% while inflation ran about 4% - so the average arable farm was going backwards at about 3% a year.
A warning for New Zealand seed and grain companies – be prepared for an exodus of farmers from the arable sector.
Gareth Hale is the current custodian of a 160-year legacy that saw his great grandfather dairying in Taranaki since the mid-1850s and grandfather dairying in the Waikato from the early 1900s.
A spat within the ranks of the New Zealand Deer Farmers Association has resulted in the suspension of outspoken North Canterbury farmer Barry Cuttance.
Efficiency is the big one because it tracks back into what is done on farm.
Flat pricing in the face of significant increases in costs is the greatest problem facing the arable sector, says Foundation for Arable Research (FAR) chief executive Dr Scott Champion.
Entries opened on Monday, 5 October 2026 for the 2027 New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards (NZDIA), which organisers describe as the nation's biggest celebration of excellence in the dairy sector.
Waikato milk processor Tatua has again declared a record milk payout to farmer shareholders, leaving other processors in the dust.
A Labour-led Government won’t be bringing back the controversial freshwater rules of 2020.
National’s much-touted free trade deal with India featured in the Rural Issues Debate at Mystery Creek, Hamilton on Wednesday night.
New Zealand's 2026-27 freshwater fishing season has opened, with anglers encouraged to head to rivers and lakes over the coming days as conditions look favourable across much of the country.
