Whanganui's Anzac Parade residents confident in flood plans after heavy rain

Some residents along Anzac Pde felt apprehensive about possible flooding following days of heavy rain earlier in the week. Photo / Bevan Conley

Residents along Anzac Pde felt apprehensive but confident about evacuation plans following days of heavy rain and high river levels in Whanganui.

High amounts of rain over the end of last week and the beginning of this week resulted in flooding on the roadway near the Whanganui River in Kowhai Park, as well as flooding of the nearby Matarawa Stream.

Horizons Regional Council installed a flood barrier in front of the Matarawa Stream bridge in Kowhai Park as their modelling suggested a possibility the river would breach the stopbanks.

Anzac Pde resident Sandra Terewi, who moved into her home in 2017, said the past week was the first time she had felt the need to take precautions in case of a serious flood.

"I didn't go in to work on Tuesday because I wanted to make sure everything was okay, " she said.

Sandra Terewi. Photo / Bevan Conley

However, Terewi said she wasn't worried for her own safety because of evacuation and protection processes put in place by Civil Defence.

Shane Dunkerton, who moved to Anzac Pde last year with his partner, had similar feelings.

Dunkerton said Horizons had been in consultation with him on their plans for their Flood Resilience Strategy, which had put him at ease.

"Obviously [a flood] would suck but we've had Horizons come around and talk about what they think they can do," he said.

A draft of the Flood Resilience Strategy was presented to the Whanganui District Council on May 25, and public consultation on the strategy closed on June 14.

Horizons said the outcome of the consultation would determine the next stages of developing the strategy.

Dunkerton said he was unsure what decisions Horizons would make and what would be best for the community.

Terewi said she had some concerns about the strategy, specifically around the costs of potential medium- to long-term solutions, most have which had been deemed unfeasible without help from central government, due to cost.

Longtime Anzac Pde residents Des and Dot Thiele said they were not worried about potential flooding this week.

Dot and Des Thiele at their home on Anzac Parade. Photo / Bevan Conley

The Thieles were living on Anzac Pde during the June 2015 flood, in which their house was flooded by two metres of water.

Compared to that, the past week's rain and low-level flooding in Kowhai Park were relatively minor, they said.

"It was never a problem, I went over [to the river] and the water hadn't even touched the stopbanks," Des Thiele said.

They said living on Anzac Pde for so long had given them a proper perspective on when river levels were serious.

"There's always water on the slipway, the rowing club is always underwater, so is the [Moutoa Quay] walkway over yonder," Dot Thiele said.

The Thieles were not too worried about another big flood as the experience of June 2015 meant they knew what to do, and they said there was nothing in their home that couldn't be replaced.

Terewi had similar sentiments about a serious flood.

"People do say that you can't replace photos, but we've all got iPads now," she said.