Resident wants drains cleared

THIS HIGH: Peter Hughes shows how high the water rises from blocked drains in Balgownie Ave. PHOTO/STUART MUNRO 060813WCSMPETER-HUGHES1

A Wanganui resident is dismayed that the district council has failed to stop flooding caused by tree roots blocking drains during heavy rain.

Peter Hughes has been fighting for two years to get the wastewater drains near his Balgownie Ave home improved in an attempt to prevent persistent surface flooding.

"Every time we get heavy rain, the gutters all fill up," he said.

The flooding reaches 30cm in some areas of the road and has a greater reach in other areas.

"You can't cross my driveway without getting your feet wet," he said.

The roots of trees, which line the street, have invaded the drainage system and wastewater flow and upset the water table.

While the flooding has never gone into his section, Mr Hughes said that it had flooded the sections of other residents in his street.

He has attempted to contact the council, but was told they could not do anything to help. Mr Hughes said he had also phoned Wanganui District councillor Ray Stevens about the issue many times, with Mr Stevens hanging up on him the last time.

"Mega-bucks" had been spent improving the conditions in surrounding streets, he claimed.

Some work has been completed in Balgownie Ave, and council workers have been out and taken levels of the driveways in the affected areas.

Mr Stevens said residents with problems needed to go to the council first and talk to staff.

He was happy to talk to people once they had done that and as long as they didn't catch him at his business when he was the only one there.

"I can't just drop everything and come and look at things - I run a business and I'm on my own in the mornings.

"We have council staff to deal with issues. When things break down or people have met a stalemate, that's when we can get called in."

Mr Stevens made no apology for hanging up on Mr Hughes. "I do choose to hang up on people who don't listen to what I have to say.

"He wanted me to look at the problem at a time that wasn't convenient and I had said, 'Go and talk to council officers'."