Goff calls for flood inquiry

An investigation will be carried out on the failed New Lynn culvert and the Ardmore treatment plant that is struggling to filter dirty flood waters.

Auckland mayor Phil Goff met with affected families and business owners in New Lynn last night.

An automatic investigation would be carried out, he said.

"You've got to find out what's happened. What's caused it. Could it have been prevented? Could it have been mitigated against?

"We'll be looking at the challenges of the dams in the Hunua Ranges and the inability of the water filter station at Ardmore to be able to cope with that.

"Our city deserves a water supply that can be relied on 100 per cent of the time."

Goff cited Auckland's population growth of 45,000 a year, less ability to move from one source of unfiltered water to another, and more extreme weather events due to climate change as adding strain to current infrastructure.

Around $100 million has already been spent on stormwater infrastructure renewals over the last five years.

A weather bomb had never overwhelmed the current infrastructure before, Goff said, "but because it's happened now we have to think about ways we can improve the resilience of the system to cope".

This week 27 people have been put up in emergency accommodation by Auckland Council due to the flood waters. Replacement clothes and furniture are being found for those who need it and loaded HOP cards were distributed to help people get to work.

"It'll make a world of difference if we can give them a helping hand," Goff said. We're not going to leave anyone in the lurch."

Goff admitted the New Lynn culvert on Gardner Ave had failed. The grill that covers it had collected debris which made it overflow.

Council officials assured Goff that immediately before the deluge they had inspected the culvert and it was clear. Goff was waiting for an engineering report to see if the culvert needs to be replaced.

"Those sorts of things are never cheap. You've got to dig up the whole road way."

Residents in the New Lynn, Titirangi, Glen Eden and neighbouring areas were busy cleaning out garages and their homes yesterday following devastating floods over the weekend.

MetService meteorologist Philippa Murdoch said that the rain would mostly have eased off by yesterday (CI time).

A ridge of high pressure is then expected to descend over the country later in the week bringing settled, sunny weather.

- NZ Herald