Reasonable flood protection for Whanganui

Homes in Anzac Parade, Putiki Drive and Taupo Quay in Whanganui need reasonable flood protection--we simply do not have that at present. Currently, flood protection ranges from totally inadequate to nonexistent.

Do we spend $300-400,000 cleaning up Kowhai Park each time we have a flood? How expensive would Kowhai Park be to move to another location? What about Girls’ College with their hockey field and hostel accommodation? Who pays for that to be relocated? Who will cover the cost of all those commercial buildings along Taupo Quay and up the avenue and down to Trafalgar Square?

It is very easy to make comments about strategic withdrawal and other options, but who pays the $20-50m this is likely to cost? Owners cannot afford it, Horizons cannot afford it, Whanganui District Council cannot afford it, insurance companies will not pay for this, they only cover repairs or stop insuring, and central government is highly unlikely to cover the cost because our situation applies to too many other locations throughout New Zealand. Strategic withdrawal is far more expensive than building reasonable flood protection in these areas.

There may eventually come a day when even 1 in 200-year protection is topped every second year and that will be the moment of truth… but I suspect that is a long way off yet. In the meantime, people in this community need help. That is not unreasonable to ask for and around $10m is not an unrealistic amount of money to invest in our community in the great scheme of things.

Please support this petition for reasonable flood protection.