Residents plead with council to resolve long-term flooding issues
Brooklands and Spencerville residents are exhausted and fed up worrying about the threat of regular flooding and are pleading with the Christchurch City Council to do something about it.
A petition, signed by 159 residents of the two settlements on the city’s northern outskirts, was presented to the council on Thursday.
The residents want the council to build a stop bank around the lagoon to prevent flooding of their properties.
Community leader Amanda Neil told the council, residents were exhausted trying to maintain their resilience.
“They are worried and anxious every time the rain starts and all the more so when it continues all day and night.
”They are desperately concerned for their family’s safety and their homes which are constantly under threat of damage and further devaluation.
”They lose far too much sleep which can severely and sadly affect their mental health.”
A large part of Brooklands was red-zoned after the 2011 quake, but not all of it.
Brooklands and Spencerville were prone to flooding because they were low-lying and nestled between the Styx River and the Brooklands Lagoon, which feed into the mouth of the Waimakariri River.
Neil has been trying to get the council’s attention since being evacuated from her Brooklands home by local fire crews during a 2017 storm.
Flooding caused her outdoor power box to explode, setting a hedge on fire.
“If we continue to try living in denial, we will end up trying to live in de-Waimak.”
Neil urged the council to spend the money needed to build the stop bank.
“Hardly anyone believes any more that any help will come.”
Another resident Jan Burney urged the council to end the uncertainty and to consult with the people.
She appealed to the council to address earthquake damage, sea-level rise and climate changes to ensure sustainable outcomes for everyone.
As a result of Neil’s petition, the council requested staff advice on the issue.
Mayor Lianne Dalziel thanked Neil for her “passion and commitment”.
Dalziel pointed out that Environment Canterbury (ECan) was responsible for the Waimakariri stop banks and the city council was responsible for the Styx River banks.
Council chief executive Dawn Baxendale said she expected staff to talk with ECan and the two authorities to come to conclusions together.
In a response to questions provided to Stuff before the meeting, council planning and consents head John Higgins said it was likely the issues around Brooklands and Spencerville would be addressed as part of the council’s plan to deal with the impacts of sea level rise.
The newly established coastal hazards adaptation planning programme would begin in the Lyttelton Harbour basin in spring.
But exactly when Brooklands and Spencerville would be looked at as part of the programme had not been decided, Higgins said.
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Poll: Should drivers retake the theory test every 10 years?
Drivers get where they need to go, but sometimes it seems that we are all abiding by different road rules (for example, the varying ways drivers indicate around a roundabout).
Do you think drivers should be required to take a quick driving theory test every 10 years?
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48.2% Yes
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1.9% Other - I'll share below
Hero
“I was born and raised in war. To be honest, those are not good memories.
I really like Iran, and I really miss it, but I couldn’t be myself there. Even though my family didn’t like my decision, I left Iran. I promised myself that I would do whatever I can for all communities, especially for the kids, so they do not have the same experience I had.
I studied software engineering in Iran and left in 2006. I went to Malaysia and stayed in Kuala Lumpur for seven years. I was admitted to Lincoln University to do my PhD here, but unfortunately, I couldn’t afford the expenses. I requested a scholarship, but they told me I had to be there for six months first. So, I stayed in Malaysia and did my PhD in network security. In December 2013, I came to New Zealand with a work visa.
It took me a while to connect with the Iranian community here. I volunteered with the Multicultural Council, SPCA, and community patrol, and I established the Christchurch Iranian Society in 2017. Before that, I started working on Radio Toranj, the only Farsi-language radio show in New Zealand.
One of the reasons I started organizing cultural events was to showcase Iranian culture. I wanted to show people that we have delicious food, colorful dresses, traditional customs, and our own instruments. My hope was to show people that we are not what you see in the media.
I am working to involve all the communities that celebrate Nowruz, the Persian New Year, in the Nowruz festival in March 2025. We want to share this celebration not only with our community but with the public as well. It’s better when it’s shared.
I remember the first time someone from Dunedin called me and asked, Hero, can you help? Something happened, and they keep declining Iranian visa applications. When I heard that, I felt insulted. We are still human, so how can they do that?
Through this journey, I’ve learned a lot. Every single day, people with different cases call me, and I try to share my knowledge and guide them as much as I can.
I have received several awards, including the Christchurch Civic Award and an Award of Recognition for my contributions to the community during the pandemic. In 2021, I established Canterbury Kia Ora Academy, a charitable trust. Through this charity, I can help other communities as well, not just the Iranian community.”
- Hero
View more stories, or nominate someone: @humansofchch
www.humansofchch.org......
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