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Rātana residents say an overgrown stormwater drain is causing flooding and attracting rats to their properties.
The Rangitīkei District Council has offered to clear the drain at the Pā near Whanganui but says it is not the council’s responsibility.
The natural drain that runs through the back of properties on Ihipera-Koria Street has become overgrown with weeds and scrub in places.
Rātana resident Ruth Lawrence was given three rat traps by Rangitīkei District Council. Photo / Eva de Jong
Rātana resident Ruth Lawrence, who returned to live at her property two months ago, had noticed flooding issues in her back garden from the blocked drain, as well as rats coming out of the drain.
“The council keeps putting it back on the landowner,” Lawrence said.
“But the moment you want to do anything on that council property, you get pushback from the council.”
She said she approached the council three weeks ago about the drain but had not received a response.
A natural drain that runs through the backs of properties on Ihipera-Koria St in Rātana is causing issues due to blockage. Photo / Eva de Jong
After being contacted by the Chronicle, a Rangitīkei District Council spokesperson said a member of its team had visited the property to inspect the drain and talk to Lawrence about remedial work to be undertaken.
“The drain is privately owned and had been maintained by a local resident,” the spokesperson said.
“That is no longer happening and the drain has built up with vegetation and debris which has led to some overflowing.
“While not technically our responsibility, council recognises that this is a complex issue and feels it is necessary to help resolve this for the residents, so we are willing to contribute with some maintenance work.”
Rātana residents say an overgrown stormwater drain is causing flooding and attracting rats to their properties. Photo / Bevan Conley
Another resident, Uyla Taiaroa, said her garden flooded when there was heavy rain because the drain overflowed, with water reaching up to the top step of her back garden.
“This has been happening for years and years, and when my parents were alive even they were trying to get the council to do something about it.
“They always just said ‘no, that’s not our problem it’s on your land so you have to fix it’.”
The council acknowledged more should have been done in Lawrence’s situation and apologised for the inconvenience and frustration caused.
“Timely response to community requests is a key priority for council.
“We are working directly with our teams to improve workflows so the set of circumstances that led to Ruth’s situation are addressed.”
Lawrence said the council had given her three rat traps to deal with the infestation, but she was worried about the time it would take for the drain to be fully cleared of debris and to solve the problem.
The council said it was actively assisting Lawrence to eradicate the rats from her property.
“One of the common issues that we have with some stormwater drains throughout the district is people dumping food scraps into them. This leads to a vermin problem in areas, particularly rats and mice, so we’d ask that people don’t do this as this can impact nearby properties,” the spokesperson said.
The council was undertaking ongoing maintenance work to improve the drain blockage for residents.
Eva de Jong is a reporter for the Whanganui Chronicle covering health stories and general news. She began as a reporter in 2023.
