Residents pleased about stopbank fix

There was water up to thigh level in Sharron Taylor's Anzac Parade house in the 1990 flood, and she was evacuated at 9pm in her pyjamas.

Twenty-three years later, she is still living in the house. She is glad Horizons Regional Council will repair the stopbanks next summer, though it will cost her household a one-off $84 on top of their Horizons rates bill.

"In our situation, I don't mind. It's a very good idea," she said.

Last week the council voted to bring the stopbanks back up to a standard that will protect 57 at-risk Anzac Parade houses in a 50-year flood. The $1.02 million repair job will be paid for in the following year, with the rest of the Horizons region contributing over $300,000, those in the flood zone paying about $84 each, those in urban Wanganui paying $48, and those in rural Wanganui paying $33.

The Chronicle knocked on some doors in the heart of the flood zone and found most residents approved.

One man's family had been there for 60 years, and through several floods. He said he was quite happy to pay extra for their own protection, if that was what was needed.

It would take tens of millions of dollars to move at-risk houses away. Raising them would be more practical, he said.

The area was used by many people, and having State Highway 3 blocked by flooding was a problem for the whole district. His family had been paying rates for 60 years, and he said it would be unfair for Anzac Parade residents to pay the whole cost of the repair.

His neighbours looked into the flood situation before buying their house 12 years ago. They discovered they could get flood insurance through IAG.

A man at that house said they were worried about floods and would like the risk minimised.

"Because, I would say in all honesty, we would be due for one."

Further along, the Kowhai Park Dairy was flooded to its windowsills in 1990. Current owner Alan Stratton has been there only two years. He said he was paying an extra $100 a week in costs because of flood danger.

Loretta Gibson is concerned because her insurer will not insure her house against flooding. She said there were now floods where it had never flooded before.

"I think [the repair] has to be done, given all the people that have been flooded that never expected to be flooded," she said.

The only people against getting the repair being done were Fay Turner and her brother Wendall Hart. She said it was a waste of money and they would prefer to rely on insurance to fix problems.