Residents rally over flood plan

Courtenay Robinson's Arataki property often floods in heavy rain. Photo / George Novak

Frustrated Arataki residents want the city council to do more to address flooding issues in their area.

Tauranga City Council has decided, subject to consultation in the Long Term Plan process, to focus its flooding prevention efforts to three areas where there is a risk of people's safety in a flooding event - Matua Peninsula and selected properties within Mount Maunganui and Waimapu.

Minor improvements and maintenance work will continue throughout the city.

Arataki residents Courtenay and Steve Robinson and their Carysfort St neighbours have to prepare for flooding issues whenever heavy rain is forecast.

Mrs Robinson said residents should not be left to deal with the street's stormwater problems.

"Our house doesn't get affected but we have to move everything from our garage, move our cars to our neighbours' house and hope for the best."

Mrs Robinson said she had learned to be proactive in heavy rain, but on one occasion, the couple had been on holiday during a heavy rain period and could not do anything to prevent damage.

The council installed a hump at the entrance to their driveway to prevent stormwater seeping in but, in a flood, water often overflowed, Mrs Robinson said.

"It seems like where they're doing the work is where there are $1 million properties."

Next door neighbour Jo Shannon said she once had to leave her car at Bayfair and walk home through flooding, holding her young daughter out of the water, because the streets were closed.

"That's not life threatening, but it's very scary."

Miss Shannon said she and others in the street had problems trying to make insurance claims after a flood and companies had increased premiums.

"If we're flooding because the pipes aren't adequate, then they need to get new pipes."

Matua Residents Association chairman Richard Kluit said he could foresee many issues arising from the decision to only protect homes where people's safety was an issue in a flood.

Mr Kluit was also concerned with the effect having flood impact information on a Lim report would have on house values.

Maleme St business owner Willy Dustin said every time there was heavy rain, he had to drive to the yard and move heavy products to dry ground.

"It's a bit of a nightmare but I can't see council doing anything about it."

Tauranga City Council communications advisor Marcel Currin said there was no new project planned to address flooding in Carysfort St.

He said the council would be looking for community feedback about its stormwater proposals in the Long Term Plan consultation later in March.

Tauranga City Council's stormwater decision

Tauranga City Council will not proactively address significant flood issues that affect private property or buildings - unless it were to be shown that such flooding posed a threat to people's physical safety.

The council will continue to provide new infrastructure for new urban growth delivery.

A reactive reserve fund for stormwater will be established, funded from rates at $2 million per year for the next 10 years. The purpose of this fund will be to effectively respond to community requirements following future flood events including clean-up; future infrastructure design and delivery; supporting amendments to private and public land to enable stormwater to be conveyed away from risk areas; potential land purchase and other remedial work (where not otherwise provided through insurance).