Maraenui Rugby and Sports Association administrator Paul Trass and president Vicky Julian removing their clubrooms' near-new carpet damaged by floods this week. Photo / Warren Buckland
Maraenui Rugby and Sports Association administrator Paul Trass and president Vicky Julian removing their clubrooms' near-new carpet damaged by floods this week. Photo / Warren Buckland
Flood-ruined household property, including hundreds of tonnes of carpet, can be dumped for free at Napier's Redclyffe Transfer Station until at least next Wednesday.
The relief was announced by Napier City Council today to support the community in the huge clean-up after almost 240mm of rain fell in the city in just a few hours on Monday.
Mayor Kirsten Wise said the council was also working with manawhenua authority Te Taiwhenua o Te Whanganui a Orotu which hoped to be able to provide trucks and vans to collect storm trash that people were unable to get to the dump. It was hoped it would be available on Friday.
A council statement said free disposal would be available at the transfer station off Springfield Rd, via State Highway 50 between Taradale and Waiohiki, and will be for residential flood-damaged waste from Napier only.
Commercial operators and non-Napier residents are being charged as normal. Account holders (builders and tradespersons) will also be charged as normal.
They spent Thursday morning throwing out the water-damaged items at Redclyffe Transfer Station. Items damaged included her late grandfather's old war book collection, their children's toys, clothing, power tools, a fridge freezer, a TV and a new washing machine for their new house.
"It was pretty much half our household that was in the garage. Pretty much all of it was damaged," Sam said.
"It's pretty sad but there's a lot of other people who were way worse off than us. Our cars weren't damaged which was lucky and we still had stuff inside the house. It's sad but we feel for everyone else as well."
The council said garden waste (grass clippings, hedge trimmings, and shrubbery) should be disposed of at BioRich (http://www.biorich.co.nz/) at the southern end of Waitangi Rd, Awatoto.
A second free option for flood-affected Napier residents is Black Bridge Transfer Station, between Clive and Haumoana.
Licenced commercial such as waste collection operators (including those who use skip bins) will be asked to divert directly to Omarunui Landfill.
A review of the conditions will be made next Wednesday.
Among the carpet being lifted today was more than 600sq m that had been laid at the Maraenui Rugby and Sports Association clubrooms at Maraenui Park less than eight months ago at a cost of about $15,000.
Carpet retailer John Danks of Carpet Court calculated that carpet alone would be about "1.4 tonnes - plus water".
Club president Vicki Julian, who was on the job ripping up the rolls, said water had come from behind the building, the area of an open drain which runs alongside Waterworth Ave. At the front of the building, the water had come up to the steps, and spread across the carpark and the corner of Waterworth and Dinwiddie avenues, which was closed to traffic for more than a day.
Insurance companies are expecting more than half the claims to include carpet replacement, from hundreds of residential and commercial buildings.
Even major supplier Carpet Court had not escaped, Napier proprietor John Danks having to remove about 180m from his premises in Taradale Rd, Onekawa.
"There are a lot of factories and offices around here that have removed carpet" he said, but added: "Most people can live with most of the damage, but everyone's just going to have to have patience."
Some staff from others in the 64-store chain will be arriving in Napier in the next few days to start flooring replacement.
Danks said: "There will be a lot of long hours, we'll be working night and day and weekends. This will take months to sort out."
General manager at Environment Centre Hawke's Bay Richard Croad said the ruined carpet was unlikely to serve another purpose.
