AUCKLAND CITY COUNCIL

MEDIA RELEASE

26 July 2006

New data helps city tackle flood areas

As Auckland City prepares to spend $338 million on stormwater infrastructure over the next 10 years, new and more accurate flood hazard mapping of the isthmus is identifying where the city needs to mitigate flooding in priority growth areas.

Improved data gathered as part of an integrated catchment study, updating the mapping of flood hazards across 28 of 38 catchments in the city, has reduced the number of known flood risk properties from 19,021 to 14,461.

Following an expanded definition of flooding or inundation under the new Building Act 2004, overland flow paths from large rainfall events have been identified as affecting a further 4,711 properties, along with 644 properties at risk from the highest astronomical tide (king tide occurring about every 18 years).

In total about 20,000 properties are identified as at risk from one form of flooding or another, an overall increase of 800 properties, largely due to the new Building Act definition.

The difference between older flood hazard information and the updated data varies according to catchment. The new information is provided on Land Information Memoranda (LIMs) and Project Information Memoranda (PIMs) when they are requested.

“We are accelerating capital works to improve stormwater infrastructure and this latest data from the council’s Geographical Information System (GIS) is critical in helping pinpoint where the priority areas lie,” says the council’s Works and Services Committee chair, Councillor Neil Abel.

“Of the $338 million earmarked for the next ten years, $300 million will go toward flood mitigation.”

Mr Abel added: “As our population grows it’s important that our infrastructure reduces risk to public and environmental health while meeting our obligations to the Resource Management Act and the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act, which requires us to put the information on LIMs and PIMs.”

ENDS

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