Since September 2021, there has been four significant rain events that have led to flooding in parts of the Manawatū District which has impacted on properties.

We have been contacting all the property owners that have notified us of flooding at their property, prioritising those who have had floodwater enter into their habitable dwellings (not including sheds or garages).

Council is aware of the scale of the flooding issues and we understand the impact that they are having on affected residents. Our staff and contractors regularly inspect the stormwater network, maintaining pipes and clearing blockages when they are identified. Our operations team have a monthly maintenance programme to maintain stormwater assets and drains are checked both prior to and after significant rain events.

Our current stormwater system was built to take water volume for a 1 in 10 year event. However, the rain events that led to flooding are considered to be 1 in 50 year events or greater. When we refer to an event being 1 in 50 years, it means that there is a 1 in 50 chance of an event that size occurring in any given year.

While the probability of these rain events remains the same, the reality is that they are becoming more frequent, and they have highlighted to Council there is a need for upgrades to parts of the stormwater system, particularly in Feilding.

Council engineers have developed a plan to address the pinch points that have been identified in the stormwater system. This plan has been presented to Council in a workshop for information but is all unbudgeted and would need to be considered as part of the draft 2024/34 10 Year Plan. Should the stormwater plan be included in the draft 10 Year Plan, Council will then consult with residents on the specifics of the project.

We’re also working alongside Horizons Regional Council on a strategy around flooding and stormwater management in Feilding.

The estimated cost to implement the stormwater plan is $18 million, which would likely be a direct cost to ratepayers. This amount is approximately half of our annual rates take for 2022/23.

We appreciate that some residents have experienced multiple flooding events since September 2021 and Council staff have met with many affected residents to investigate ways that heavy rain can be mitigated until a long-term solution can be funded, fully designed and implemented.
 

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