Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown unveiled a thorough emergency recovery plan to aid the region’s reconstruction and better equip Aucklanders for following weather-related calamities.
“More than a month has passed since a terrible one-two punch struck our region, the Auckland Anniversary floods followed by Cyclone Gabrielle, and there is still much to be done to assist our hardest stricken communities. There needs to be a Massive Auckland Fix Up to make Auckland more robust.
“I have requested that Jim Stabback, as Chief Executive, begin a quick evaluation of flood risk areas to find easy remedies and then carry out the necessary work program in cooperation with Watercare and Auckland Transport.
“I have also asked each local board to identify five critical problems and solutions in their region so that they can be fed back into the process. Then, Mayor Brown added that I would go to those locations with the appropriate engineers to comprehend the concepts and forward the work.
The Mayor has found some straightforward measures to lower the risk of flooding:
On both public and private property, open drain routes and clear streams.
Non-arterial roadways should be placed lower than congested streams and drains.
Create and enhance turn-offs to take advantage of public stormwater storage in parks and other places.
To build floodplains and lessen flooding of residential areas, “daylight” streams are placed in spaces enclosed in pipes or narrow channels.
“I have observed trees and trash in open drain channels that might easily be removed to lower the risk of flooding. Watercourses passing through private property must be kept up-to-date, and I anticipate the council will vigorously use its regulatory authority in areas where problems are found.
“In some locations, roadways have been built to worsen homes’ flooding while protecting the road from floods. To ensure that flows go from open channel to open channel, the council should consider lowering roadways over congested drains in certain places.
“While not a comprehensive answer, the concepts are straightforward, affordable, and potentially helpful. The neighbourhoods most severely impacted by the recent occurrences—some of which in the west have frequently experienced flooding in recent years—need to be inspected first.
It is also clear that Auckland needs to improve its preparedness for extreme weather, and I predict that the council’s emergency response skills will increase. To effectively inform the public, we need to look at how we anticipate and model flooding and rebuild local skills and response plans that have deteriorated over the past six years.
“We need to fix plans for land use and building rules, as well as repair and replace our deteriorated roads, bridges, water system, and buildings in a way that will strengthen and more resiliency communities.
“Recent occurrences revealed issues with the locations and construction methods of several residences in Auckland. It will be necessary to address instances when the government or courts have limited the council’s capacity to regulate. As the managed retreat is the last choice, the commission must be empowered to refuse requests and make infrastructure plans.
