West Auckland flooding: Report finds council failed to keep creek beds clear

Wednesday, 11 May 2022

Kumeū needs early warning systems to avoid a repeat of August's destructive floods, local resident Guy Wishart says.

Flooding that impacted thousands of homes was made worse because Auckland Council failed to keep culverts and creek beds clear, a report has found.

More than 150 millimetres of water covered West Auckland during the August flood and the nearby Upper Huia Dam went from 45% capacity to overflowing in the span of only four hours.

The independent report was commissioned by Te Atatū MP Phil Twyford, who hired two experts on flood control to work on the report.

New Zealand Search and Rescue staff responded to flood-hit parts of West Auckland in August. (File photo)

The experts found on the night of August 30 when the heavy rain struck, flooding at the Waimoko Stream, which flows through Swanson and Rānui, was exacerbated by blockages down the stream and in the culverts.

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While much of the flooding affected villages in Auckland’s northwest, such as Kumeū, 58 homes near the Waimoko stream were flooded, as well as four commercial buildings.

According to the report, residents in the area had contacted Auckland Council multiple times from 2010 to 2021 with concerns about flooding and requested culverts in the area to be cleared.

Residents said this only happened in January 2013 and February 2022.

Lyall Carter, a Rānui resident who had two cars written off and his property damaged during the flooding, said he was still waiting for the council to take practical action to prevent floods by his home, next to Momutu stream.

Carter said it hadn’t been cleaned out since the flooding occurred and it now had weed growth, wooden pallets and rubbish throughout it.

The August flooding impacted thousands of homes and businesses in Auckland’s west and northwest. (File photo)

“This wouldn’t be an issue if council did their job and cleaned out the stream.

“This was some of the worst flooding in the area, and I still haven’t seen anybody here in response to it. The rubbish is blocking the stream.”

Carter and his wife recently had a baby and they were determined to avoid losing property a second time around.

'We had heavy rain recently, the neighbors told us to move our cars as they thought it would happen again.

“It's great there's a report, but what's being practically done?'

Twyford said he had since met with Auckland Council and urged it to clear the culverts and creek beds at the Waimoko Stream. Two culverts had now been cleared.

“We proposed the council works with the community to set up an ongoing project to reduce flood risk in the catchment, and I am hopeful they will do that,” Twyford said.

“It’s really important, because with climate change these rain events are likely to become more frequent.”

Auckland Council has been contacted for further comment.