Watch NZH Local Focus: Huntly residents blame council for floods

Ingrid Jellick

Huntly residents are pointing the finger at the local councils for failing to maintain services in the district.

They say the lack of maintenance on culverts and drains in the township meant the excess water over the weekend had nowhere to go except on to private property.

Anna Roiall only just moved in ten weeks ago, and says if the stream alongside her house had been kept clear "it wouldn't block and do that".

She wants the council to "keep that damn drain clean," to ensure her property and garage isn't flooded again.

Her neighbours agree, Audrey Cox has lived next door for more than 30 years and says the stream has never flooded before.

She says, it used to be cleaned out, but says it hasn't been for the last three years.

"If it's ever flooded it's the Waikato river that has flooded and of course the drain comes up but the water has always been able to flow into the Waikato river. It has never ever come up like that, ever"

Mrs Cox fears the councils are neglecting infrastructure in established communities because it is putting resources into new subdivisions.

"We pay high rates in Huntly. We don't appear to see any result of those rates actually being physically being put into our district... and there doesn't seem to be the maintenance workers out there anymore."

In a statement, Waikato Regional Council (WRC) says it's hard to prevent all flooding and in the past hadn't received complaints about the stream in question.

"It hasn't really come to our attention, nor does it have a regular maintenance programme."

But WRC says if residents have issues they can seek help from the council.

Waikato District Council says it inspects the stream every year and the huge amount of rain had washed debris down the small stream which blocked the culvert near Mrs Roiall's home.

It says most recent surveys suggested another cleanout wasn't required.

Made with finding from NZ on Air