Letters to Editor: Flooding was avoidable

I am writing in reference to recent flooding at Te Awanga and the ongoing inability of the councils to address issues until "after the event", if at all.
In 2002 Hawke's Bay Regional Council completed the Te Awanga Flood Protection Scheme, at a cost to landowners of $300,000-plus. Hawke's Bay Regional Council made a 30 per cent contribution and Te Awanga landowners paid the balance (approximately $1000 per house).
Hawke's Bay Regional Council in a letter dated 02/10/2002 said "the stop bank on the Maraetotara River is a major line of defence from flooding for Te Awanga which will benefit property owners for years to come". Furthermore, "The Council will now be encouraging Hastings District Council to deal with the risk of flooding from Leyland and Haggerty drains as soon as possible."
It is now nearly nine years later!
Most of the flooding that occurred on the morning of Wednesday, April 27 could have been avoided. It was evident what was going to happen on Tuesday afternoon as drains along Clifton Rd were to the top and the Maraetotara was starting to back up as the outflow to the sea was small. If, as I saw happening on Thursday, April 28, a channel was created to the sea on Clifton Rd and the Maraetotara outflow opened up on Tuesday, then the catastrophic damage that occurred could have largely been avoided.
Come on councils!
Get your acts together! Sort out the issues on the table and don't wait for another disaster - "Save The Cape Coast".
Gavin Yortt, Te Awanga
Praise of Napier
My family and a few friends spent a lovely Easter weekend in Napier.
The weather was gorgeous and the people we met were very warm and friendly.
The service in Farmers and Pak'nSave was exceptional. We went on great walks over Bluff, Hospital and Napier Hills and the people we met along the way were happy to stop their dogs so that my children could pat them.
This happened on many occasions and one gentleman even gave us some mandarins to take home.
We also spent a lovely Easter Sunday afternoon at the Sound Shell where they had free entertainment, sausage sizzle, Easter eggs, face painting and bouncy castles for the children.
Keep up the great work Napier and thanks for a great Easter.
R Bowie, Dannevirke