The fix for a regularly flooded rural road south of Oamaru will be decided by the Waitaki District Council today.
The proposal to install a private pipeline at Springfield Rd, east of Fortification Rd, narrowly passed through the council's assets committee meeting as the preferred option last week.
The proposal to spend $15,000 from the council's roading budget - to install a culvert and pipeline to divert floodwaters from the road into local irrigation schemes - made it on to today's agenda in a three-two committee vote.
Both Crs Guy Percival and Hugh Perkins said the flooding arose due to intensive agriculture in the area and voted against the proposal.
Cr Percival said the council should ``bite the bullet'' and spend the estimated $54,000 on the $120,000 NZ Transport Agency-subsidised project to raise the road to ensure it would not flood and therefore remain open year round.
Cr Perkins asked assets group manager Neil Jorgensen if the council was setting a precedent for others to say ``you need to contribute to this problem that I've caused''.
Mr Jorgensen said the council would be free to deal with any similar situation in the future on a case-by-case basis.
Committee chairman Cr Bill Kingan said it was ``not well understood why it floods in that area'' and voted for the pipeline, along with Crs Jeremy Holding and Melanie Tavendale.
The report to the committee notes at present the neighbouring landowner mechanically pumped water from the area once a year after flooding, with the council contributing funds to cover costs.
