11 May 2018

Media: Rotorua Daily Post

Topic: Flooding in central Rotorua

Enquiry

A reporter had the following questions after speaking with various residents in Holland St, Glenholme about the flooding they experienced there.

• Do you think that a lack of maintenance on drains in Holland St exasperated the flooding problem there on April 29?
• One allegation was that the Level of service has reduced. It has very much reduced from what was previously required under the previous regime by Clean Green. What is the council's response to this?

One Holland St, resident who said she had asked the Rotorua Lakes Council five times in the last five years to do more to avoid blockages in the drains and sewerage system in her area, yet the problem had only got worse. What is the council's response to this?

• How many full-time equivalent staff are employed to complete the roles that were previously completed by Clean Green until the contract ended years ago?
• How much money is the council saving per year by completing these roles itself, rather than contracting them out to Clean Green?
• Why was the Clean Green contract ended?
• In what year did the council stop supplying sandbags to residents in flood events?
• Why?
• When were the Tilsley St stormwater pumps turned on?
• Why was it not earlier?

Response

From Infrastructure Group Manager and Council's Primary Civil Defence Controller Stavros Michael:

"We understand the community's concerns following the 29 April event and are happy to speak with individuals directly to discuss their concerns if they would like to do so.

Assessing current systems and how we can prevent or minimise future risk is something that will follow the recommendations of the independent panel being set up to look at what happened and what contributed to the 29 April event. We expect the findings will help guide future infrastructure planning and decision-making for the whole district.

The city's stormwater and sewage systems worked as they were designed to do during the 29 April event but in some areas were overwhelmed during the peak rainfall period between 10am and 11am that day. According to NIWA figures 51.8mm of rain fell in that hour with just under 57mm falling in the three hours prior to that. This was a one in 105-year event.

Holland Street and the surrounding area is low-lying so there is a pump station in Tilsley Street to pump water out during rainfall events if necessary. The two pumps in the station are automated and were operating as they are designed to do for the duration of the 29 April event. The station was overwhelmed during the peak rainfall period and with systems across the city full or overflowing at once, the water had nowhere to go. It drained away quite quickly as soon there was capacity in the system again."

Other info:

• Fulton Hogan is contracted for road maintenance including sweeping in residential areas.
• Rotorua Contracting, now operating as InfraCore and previously CastleCorp, is contracted for sewerage and stormwater maintenance.
• Both contractors operate ongoing maintenance programme, as per contracted levels of service which have not changed since at least 2012 when Council's road maintenance standards were last reviewed.
• Residential roads are swept every 6 months (a few which have more leaf fall than others may have extra sweeping during autumn).
• Cesspits or stormwater grates (there are about 5200 across the city) are checked every two years and must be able to receive stormwater.
• There are ongoing inspections and maintenance of stormwater systems.
• Leaf removal is done annually and Council runs a community project during autumn whereby it provides bags for residents to collect leaves and then disposes of these.