Henley Rd resident Jay MacLean extended the invitation yesterday after Cr Michael Deaker raised concerns at a council meeting in Dunedin on Wednesday about the long-term future of Henley, which flooded last month.
"I’d like to see the bigwigs at the ORC walking through Henley first-hand rather than from a helicopter," Mr MacLean said.
The comment comes after Cr Deaker asked at the meeting: "What’s the future for Henley?".
Every time there was heavy rain in the catchment, "we can all sit in our homes and say ‘there goes Henley again’", he said.
He was aware extreme local weather events were expected to become more frequent in future, and flooding could become more pressing.
He asked what could be done to help people in Henley, given their "miserable" situation.
Cr Deaker was mindful that the town of Kelso, near Tapanui in West Otago, had been abandoned after repeated flooding.
Mr McLean said he approached the council after Henley flooded in 2010 and asked the council to maintain its infrastructure in Henley to a "working standard", including raising floodbanks and making drains effective.
"Bugger all has happened in seven years," Mr MacLean said.
Regional council chief executive Peter Bodeker, speaking after the meeting, said it was not the regional council’s role to attempt to pronounce on the area’s future, but the council would discuss matters with the Dunedin City Council.
The regional council, in partnership with the city council, could be part of "assisting that community—that’s our role."
Working with the city council, he hoped to have some further dialogue with Henley residents before the end of the year about potential help.
Cr Deaker said it was "encouraging" that further thought and dialogue were being proposed.
Mr MacLean said he supported the city council being involved in discussions because housing development "further upstream", such as Mosgiel, was resulting in more water entering Taieri River and putting pressure on infrastructure in Henley.
