Restoration work being carried out on a Buffalo Beach Road motel. A protective bund is required along this stretch of Buffalo Beach Road.
The Informer has reported on flooding of resident’s homes in the Taputapuatea Reserve previously. This occurred most recently during the rain storm in late January, principally caused by water from Council land pouring unchecked over resident’s properties and through their homes. It was an untenable situation which, despite sterling efforts by Council and Community Board representatives, Council staff refused to put right.
However, we are therefore delighted to be able to announce that Council staff have seen the light and have agreed to fix this problem. This will be done by the erection of a bund (a small stop bank) in the Taputapuatea Reserve which will block stormwater from flowing into resident’s homes in that area. Thanks must go to Mercury Bay Councillors and Community Board elected members who were tireless in their efforts to deliver a satisfactory result for their community.
There is one delaying factor that Council staff have brought up and that is, “who will fund the project?”. The question is a bit silly really as we know who will fund it – we ratepayers will from monies paid to the TCDC. What the Council staff really mean is ‘whose budget will be used to cover this investment?’ I don’t think the residents who suffer from this flooding need to think further about which column the expense will be applied to –a minor Council accounting issue. Getting the job done before the next heavy rains come along is the issue..
Once this bund has been erected, it will solve problems for some but not all. The Taputapuatea Stream drains a floodwater retention zone and with planned development, there will be increased pressure to ensure this works without damage to individual’s properties. The bund now planned for the reserve is part of the requirement, basically protecting up to the bridge but beyond the bridge, the problem of uncontrolled flooding from Council land causing serious damage to ratepayer’s property persists.
An example is the recent rains resulting in one motel being forced to close its doors while the ground floor units are rebuilt, a very expensive restoration job caused by flooding.
This flooding comes from the Taputapuatea Stream, compounded by high tides. Water sweeps unimpeded over the road from the Taputapuatea Spit and through resident’s properties. It would appear that the solution here is to build a bund between the stream and Buffalo Beach Road from the Taputapuatea Bridge to the outlet of the stream thereby encasing floodwaters and giving them one outlet – to the sea.
Possibly some drainage facilities across the spit to give the stream multiple outlet points would be needed. This would not appear to be a horrendously expensive exercise, yet would complete the encasing of the Taputapuatea floodwater retention zone and provide security for residents.
The experts may consider this; they may have changes or improvements to such a scheme. The main thing is a plan is needed and then it must be implemented.
Well done to Council for working with the people’s representatives to resolve the Taputapuatea Reserve flooding problem. But what we all know is that the work doesn’t stop; its only just started.
