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Lee Vandervis.
Lee Vandervis.
The Dunedin City Council will consider further investment to fix faulty parts of the city's stormwater network, as a councillor says there is no cause for celebration after Monday's cloudburst.

Cr Lee Vandervis told the Otago Daily Times there was ''no reason'' for council staff to claim the city's infrastructure coped well with Monday's storm, given the number of flooded shops and basements ''after such a short burst of intense rain''.

His comments came as a spokeswoman for insurer IAG confirmed about 200 incident reports had been received following Monday's storm, involving average damage of $2000-$3000.

''Our loss adjusters and builders are on the ground helping customers and finding more information as we speak,'' the spokeswoman said.

The storm, which struck about 3.30pm, delivered thunder, lightning, hail and 13.6mm of rain in a 15-minute burst. It overwhelmed stormwater intakes in some areas leading to localised flooding.

Council staff fielded 105 flooding-related calls during and after the storm, including 23 about flooded garages, land, houses and businesses. The Fire Service responded to 45 calls for help.

The downpour hit Dunedin on Monday. Photo ODT
The downpour hit Dunedin on Monday. Photo ODT

Despite that, the speed with which water drained away showed the stormwater network had coped well overall, despite problems in some areas, council staff maintained.

It was a view supported by Dunedin South Labour MP Clare Curran, who said the network's performance was ''really heartening''.

However, Cr Vandervis, speaking yesterday, said the council still needed to log areas of concern, ''to admit shortcomings and improve drainage to prevent costly water damage''.

Council water and waste group manager Laura McElhone said that was exactly what would happen.

Problems had emerged, or recurred, in some parts of the city, as some streets flooded and manhole covers were ''popped'' by the sheer volume of water, she said.

In the Glen Stream, a screen at the point the waterway disappeared below the road had been damaged by debris dislodged during the downpour, leading to flooding in the area, she said.

Work to redesign the screen had begun before Monday's storm, and the now ''very bent and bashed'' screen would be replaced, she said.

Surrey St, in South Dunedin, had also experienced flooding, but the water drained away within minutes of the rain stopping, she said.

The real problem on Monday was the hail, which blocked gutters and diverted water, contributing to flooding, and the sheer intensity of the rain, she said.

''Most of our system worked very well, but at the end of the day, [in] those really short cloud-burst events, the problems you have are normally because water can't get into the [stormwater] system.''

Problems had been logged, the network's performance would be reviewed, which could lead to further investment, she said.

That would be in addition to the council's ongoing work to improve the resilience of the network in South Dunedin and other parts of the city, she said.

chris.morris@odt.co.nz

Comments

Thank you Lee for actually representing the citizens of Dunedin.

Why isn't Lee Vandervis the Mayor of Dunedin, can Cull be over thrown?

Rubbish 'real problem on Monday was the hail, which blocked gutters' Drains are blocked without Hail. in lots of areas, maybe lack of Maintenance.

'the council still needed to log areas of concern, ''to admit shortcomings and improve drainage to prevent costly water damage''.' Dave Cull and the Green Party are the main problem

Apparently, voting is the way. Overthrow is a people's revolution, but, in our town angry disputants would throw out everyone Green, pro cycling, or wearing Lycra™, proudly adapted from rayon by distant Ottawan relatives.

Right on the money Rtn2Dun.

 

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