Te Puke residents demand council action on frequent flooding

Muir Place residents Bev James, Kate King, Sue Howard, Bev Steenson, Roy Ogle and Peter Willis of Raymond Ave are sick of properties in the neighbourhood flooding. Photo / Brydie Thompson

Every time it rains, residents of a Western Bay of Plenty neighbourhood watch and wait for the flood waters to rise.

They say it’s only in the last few years the nearby stream has become a real threat, and they want action from their council.

An official says the area has always had flood risks and the council carries out regular work in the area.

Homes at the bottom of Muir Place in Te Puke are a few hundred metres from the Ōhineangaanga Stream, which rises rapidly during downpours.

Peter Willis’ land borders the stream. He said there had been six large flooding events since 2022.

The worst was the Auckland Anniversary weekend floods in 2023 when his paddocks were underwater and water reached halfway up his shed, about 1.5m high, he said.

Willis grazes sheep in the paddock but moves them to a neighbour’s land if flooding was likely.

He no longer used the shed after numerous floods, and had not rebuilt damaged fences as they would get knocked down by water and debris.

It would cost $60,000-$70,000 to relocate the shed, Willis said.

“We stress every time it rains, we’re all out here at midnight.

“These last three rain events, we were all out here with torches checking how the creek’s going.”

Peter Willis' Raymond Ave land on the Ōhineangaanga Stream in Te Puke floods during heavy rain. Photo / Brydie Thompson

Willis believed the new Te Mania subdivision on nearby Dunlop Rd, which started in 2022, contributed to the flooding because its stormwater drained into the stream.

Willis and other residents want the Western Bay of Plenty District Council to build a stopbank for the stream to alleviate flooding.

Kate King and her neighbours also wanted regular maintenance to keep the culvert downstream clear.

The residents warned the council about the logs and debris blocking the culvert before the January 2023 flooding, but it wasn’t cleared, she said.

One of her neighbours was “constantly” calling if the culvert was blocked and being told it would be cleared in two or three weeks, King said.

Kate King worries for her elderly neighbours because their properties flood from the nearby stream. Photo / Brydie Thompson

“It’s not good enough when they know that the area is prone to flooding.

“Every time it has flooded, it has flooded because they [the council] have not responded to the fact that there has been a blockage of the culvert.”

King’s property was far enough from the stream that it was less likely to flood, but she worried for her elderly neighbours, some of whom lived alone.

During the January 2023 event the water flooded a car on an elevated driveway at least 200m from the stream, she said.

 Before the Dunlop Rd subdivision, their properties had never been so threatened by floods, King said.

The water would rise no further than a fence near the driveway.

Silt and debris left on the Muir Place right-of-way after the nearby stream flooded in January 2023. Photo / Supplied

Bev Steenson said she and three other neighbours were in their 80s. One slept with a suitcase under her bed in case she needed to evacuate.

“It’s not how you want to live your retirement. We don’t particularly want to lose our assets or our sense of peace.

“We are in an immediate need of some sort of protection for our houses.”

Roy Ogle’s property runs along the Muir Place side of the stream. He has lost fences and had to redo his driveway after flooding.

His neighbour’s properties needed to be safeguarded, but he said a stopbank would cost millions and he believed the chances of getting one were “zilch”.

Roy Ogle wants action from the council to alleviate flooding. Photo / Brydie Thompson

Ogle suggested a gabion basket wall replace the wooden fence at the edge of the driveways to prevent water reaching homes.

Council asset management team lead James Abraham said the Ōhineangaanga Stream and nearby properties had always been susceptible to flood hazards.

Extensive hydraulic modelling was done to assess the effects of the Te Mania subdivision, which was accepted by the Bay of Plenty Regional Council, he said.

The modelling showed the development would not cause increased flood depth in the surrounding area.

The council aimed to respond to blocked stormwater culverts within 10 days, and had an eight-hour average response time over the past four years, he said.

Flooding at Roy Ogle's Muir Place property in May 2023. Photo / Supplied

“Our approach is to proactively inspect culverts and open drains at least every six months, clear debris as it accumulates, and respond promptly to service requests.”

The upstream catchment was rural and included kiwifruit orchards and forestry operations that could contribute “significant” slash and debris during storms.

“This is a challenge faced by many councils across New Zealand.”

The council focussed on protecting homes from flooding. Sheds were not a priority, Abraham said.

Specific mitigation works had not been funded through the council’s Long-Term Plan, but council had agreed to investigate what options might be feasible for the area, he said.

This included assessing the effectiveness and cost of stopbanks or other interventions including those suggested by residents, Abraham said.

A Te Mania spokesperson said the completed stages and those under-construction were designed and approved in line with the relevant district and regional council standards.

All development stormwater discharge was approved by the district council before construction, and construction stormwater was managed in line with regional council requirements, they said.

- LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.