Waimakariri mayor seeks clarity on major roading projects
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
An increase in destructive heavy rain events is forcing the Waimakariri District Council to rethink how it responds.
The council has established an infrastructure resilience team to lead flood recovery efforts.
Councillors have also approved $4 million for infrastructure repairs, following a flood event in July 2023, which saw more than 150mm of rain fall over three days.
‘‘We know severe weather events are happening more regularly and during each event we learn more about our stormwater, wastewater and roading networks and where they need be strengthened and investment focused,’’ mayor Dan Gordon said.
‘‘Rather than engaging consultants to work alongside staff, we’ve decided to recruit and put in place a specialist team to work on current known issues and improve the resilience of our entire network.’’
The council received 335 service requests from residents following July’s rain event, compared to more than 800 requests from a more severe rain event last year.
The July rain event led to a precautionary self-evacuation of Tuahiwi at its peak, numerous road closures and widespread surface flooding.
"Residents have told the council they’re concerned about flooding during heavy rain events, especially now they are happening more regularly," Gordon said.
"And they want assurance we’re doing what we can to reduce the likelihood of flooding."
He said the new fund provided a budget to fix known issues and to put skilled people in place as part of an infrastructure resilience team.
The main areas to experience issues from July’s rain event included Cam River/Ruataniwha, the Tuahiwi area, and Waikuku Beach.
There were also road repairs needed, including Lees Valley Rd.
Over the past three years $22.3 million has been spent in Kaiapoi on flood protection works such as pumping stations, drain and culvert improvements and mains replacement.
It was partially funded from the Government’s ‘‘shovel ready", fund.
‘‘We’ve already seen the benefit of these improvements during the July 2023 flooding - known low-lying areas in Kaiapoi remained safe,’’ Mr Gordon said.
‘‘We want to continue to build on this momentum with this new team and new fund.’’
PHOTO: The Ashley River in flood during July's heavy rain event. By John Cosgrove/North Canterbury News
■ Public interest journalism funded through New Zealand on Air.
⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️
Best way to use leftovers?
I'm sure you've got some excess ham at home or cold roast potatoes.
What are some of your favourite ways to use leftover food from Christmas day? Share below.
Poll: Would you rather: Christmas in summer forever or winter forever?
Just a bit of a fun poll to get you thinking.
If you had to live out your Christmas days, would you prefer it was a summer Christmas or a winter Christmas?
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62.5% Summer
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36% Winter
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1.5% Other - I'll share below
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