Apple bins wash up as far as Farewell Spit after Tasman floods
Apple bins have been found strewn as far as Farewell Spit in the aftermath of the devastating floods that swept through the Tasman region, prompting a major marine clean-up effort.
Tasman harbourmaster Pete Renshaw said the flood’s debris plume travelled all the way out of Tasman Bay, and ocean currents had now pushed orchard waste and plastics far along the coastline.
So far, 150 apple bins, 39 orchard nets, a large tractor tyre, and countless pieces of plastic have been retrieved.
“Farewell Spit Eco Tours called me after a trip over the weekend and confirmed the worst — apple bins have washed up there too,” Renshaw said. “We’re now working out how to retrieve them.”
Most of the debris collected so far was concentrated between Kina Campground and the Motueka River mouth at Staple St, where Coastguard volunteers walked the beach mapping debris by GPS.
Golden Bay Fruit had already removed most of their bins, while a contractor was digging out heavier debris along the coast.
“We’ve removed four full skips already,” Renshaw said. “But the real pressure is getting this stuff off the beaches before this Sunday.”
He said tides this coming Sunday were forecast to reach the same height as they did on Friday during the floods last week, risking the debris being refloated and swept back into the ocean.
“That’s the deadline. The environmental impact is huge — but it’s also about safety. If that material re-enters the water, it becomes a hazard to boats and swimmers.”
While the debris has mostly landed on the Tasman side, Rabbit Island and the Nelson coastline saw very little impact.
Renshaw urged the public not to clear debris themselves. “Some of it could be contaminated or dangerous. Please leave it to trained teams.”
Paddy Gillooly of Farewell Spit Eco Tours was on the spit when Nelson Mail called, retrieving flood debris from the coastline.
He had found six apple bins from the inner beach along the first five kilometres of the spit.
“One more is on the outer beach about halfway along, which we’ll get,” he said.
They also recovered one bin from Collingwood Beach and spotted around three hay bales and fence posts on the ocean side of the spit.
A navigation safety notice remains in place advising people to stay off the water this week.
By Warren Gamble, Nelson Mail
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