Rotorua resident frustrated by more than a decade of flooding

A Rotorua woman says repeated flooding over 12 years has hindered her efforts to sell her house.

Veronica Martin says her driveway has flooded on average six to eight times a year since she began living on the Clayton Rd Extension in 2010.

She said it had happened four times in the last month.

The Rotorua Lakes Council has attempted to fix the issue five times during the past 12 years, with its latest investigation now in its early stages.

Martin said every time there is heavy rain, such as last week, water comes flowing down Clayton Rd into the extension where she lives.

One of only a couple houses down the extension road, Martin said on bad days the water pooled at the bottom of the street, creeping over the berm and up to the fence line - and covering her driveway.

There was a hump in the middle of the road, diverting the water to either edge of it.

A Clayton Rd Extension resident says it takes days for the water to drain from her driveway. Photo / Andrew Warner

The water at its deepest would be about up to her knees, she said.

Martin was in the process of selling her home to move to Hamilton and believed the issue was creating hesitancy with buyers.

"The people came around on Monday to do a report and it was flooded then. I am wondering if that put them off buying it.

"They had said to me they would buy the house but have now turned around and said no."

She said the issue could deter other potential buyers but she hoped not.

With the water also came silt, litter and debris, which was left behind once the water began to drain away.

But Martin said it could be days until the water drained enough for her to be able to get her car out of her driveway.

"It is very slow to move ... it takes two or three days sometimes to completely drain away."

She had tried, once, but she said her car's brakes had seized up and she did not want to risk it again.

Martin said she asked the council multiple times in those 12 years to do something but their efforts were "botched" and nothing changed.

"It still isn't fixed."

Martin said there must be a solution and she suggested another drain on her side of the road might help.

"I just want it fixed ... it is very frustrating sometimes."

Rotorua Lakes Council infrastructure networks performance manager Eric Cawte said the council was aware of issues with water ponding at the end of the Clayton Rd Extension.

Cawte said the council was investigating options for new drainage to take water away from where it currently ponds.

"This work is in the early stages of investigation – cost won't be known until we determine what will be done."

In the past 12 years, work had been undertaken in May 2010, August 2014, May 2021, December 2021 and most recently February/March 2022, which involved reshaping and sealing and removal of vegetation to aid drainage.

There had been six calls in its requests for service (RFS) records from two households during the past 12 years. Three were from the same household on February 8.

Martin said she was happy to hear the council was investigating another option and said it would be happening when she had hopefully sold.