'Not possible': Residents plead with city council to fix flooding

Heidi Oudemans watched rain begin to pour outside her home last Saturday and knew exactly what would follow. Photo: Supplied

A group of residents have pleaded with Christchurch City Council to resolve their flooding issues.

Heidi Oudemans. Photo: Supplied

After watching the flood waters rise around her Tenby Pl, Avondale, property again on April 1, Tenby Action Group co-ordinator Heidi Oudemans spent last Wednesday presenting her concerns to city councillors.

A staff report at the meeting stated it was “not possible to ‘fix flooding’ and some level of flood risk would be present even if investment were significantly increased”.

“There will always be a bigger flood event, or areas that cannot be practicably remedied.”

The report said the community and council would have to accept some surface water ponding and private property flooding that could be addressed through physical work.

But Oudemans said there were days when residents were unable to leave their properties.

“There is a pregnant lady down the road who is worried about if the ambulance can get in, there is an 81-year-old lady who can’t get out at all, and I can only get to my letterbox then I’m blocked in by water.”

For over a decade, Oudemans has watched floodwaters rise outside her Avondale home and trap her and residents of 40 other homes on her street, potentially for days on end.

It happens every single time it rains, and the locals have had enough.

For over a decade, Oudemans has watched floodwaters rise outside her Christchurch home and trap her and 40 other homes on her street potentially for days on end. Photo: Supplied

Oudemans told city councillors it doesn’t take a large weather event for the street to flood, with only a couple of hours of rain leading to days of waiting for the water to drain away.

A resident on Newport St said the floodwaters can be “quite confronting” and was worried about sinkholes and other hazards.

“We just want to turn our pond back to pavement,” the resident said.

Oudemans also expressed concerns about long-term damage to house footings.

Mayor Phil Mauger is no stranger to working in flooded areas, having taken matters into his own hands and digging out a trench in Bexley red zone in 2020, following which the city council voted to prioritise works in the area to address the problem.

Mauger visited the flood affected area around Tenby Place and Newport St during heavy rain. He told residents he thought the problem was to do with a drain outlet at Porritt Park not draining quickly enough. He said the city council will get a report done and come back to the residents.

Tenby Pl and Newport St residents, including Heidi Oudemans (middle), presented their concerns to city councillors at a meeting last week. Photo: Supplied via Christchurch City Council

The city council report tabled at the meeting said there may never be a complete fix for some areas that regularly flood.

The report intended to present a wider view of stormwater management that will enable more informed decisions to be made.

Mauger also questioned city council staff whether enough material was being removed from rivers and whether more common dredging could be an option, something he said was a common occurrence pre-earthquake.

Council staff responded by saying dredging is not a simple process and that multiple factors had to be considered including bank stability.

The city council decided to develop a prioritised list of works, but staff warned the scale of the task limited the city council’s ability to address all areas at pace and significant time would be needed to complete all the work.