More torrential rain Wednesday morning brought more flooding to Auckland residents, with many saying they have had enough and want the Council to take accountability. Video / NZ Herald
West Auckland residents demanding the managed retreat of homes from flood-prone areas are hoping for some clarity from Mayor Wayne Brown’s report into the Auckland Anniversary floods that claimed the lives of four people.
After several delays, the mayor’s office said it should know the release date this week.
The review is being conducted by former Police Commissioner Mike Bush.
It was commissioned by Brown from his office budget on January 30 to “look into all aspects, all people, myself included, plus the profession, plus even the Government’s involvement” to the January 27 floods.
Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown's review into the immediate response to the January 27 floods has been delayed. Photo / Dean Purcell.
Lyall Carter, who chairs West Auckland is Flooding (WAIF), said hundreds of homeowners, some of whom have been inundated multiple times over the past two years and had their properties yellow and red-stickered, don’t want to be forgotten when the mayoral report comes out.
Carter, whose property was flooded but not his home, said “our hope around the mayor’s report is it brings some clarity going forward for flood-affected residents.
“My street, for example, backs onto a stream ... If they clean out our stream and put in retention ponds and build better infrastructure, our street will be saved so we can rebuild without the risk of future flooding,” he told the Herald.
WAIF is demanding the managed retreat of homes and retrofitting infrastructure across about 13 neighbourhoods in West Auckland.
Flood damage from Auckland's weather event on January 27 has left many West Auckland properties yellow- and red-stickered. Photo / Ashok Sudhakaran
As well as looking for clarity from the mayor’s report, Carter said WAIF is also looking for clarity from a taskforce established by Cyclone Recovery Minister Grant Robertson to advise the Government on the recovery from the Auckland floods and Cyclone Gabrielle.
He said the indication from Robertson was that in the next few weeks there would be an initial pathway going forward.
“We are really looking forward to hearing what central and local government are going to be proposing.
“We need a plan going forward and are fairly optimistic that central and local government, along with other key players, will get together to do not only what is right, but what is needed,” said Carter.
