Flood-prone houses going from street

Wayne Koppert, of Fulton Hogan, prepares a Somerville St, Dunedin, house for removal. Photo by...
Wayne Koppert, of Fulton Hogan, prepares a Somerville St, Dunedin, house for removal. Photo by Peter McIntosh.
A $1.7 million "green solution" to a Dunedin flooding problem will result in the number of houses in Somerville St decreasing by four over the next few weeks.

Fulton Hogan has been awarded the tender to demolish one house and relocate three that were affected by flooding from an unnamed stream twice in February, 2005.

Fulton Hogan excavation manager Mark Payne said yesterday the first house was expected to go early next week.

The Dunedin City Council originally considered solving the flooding problem by piping the stream to Andersons Bay Inlet, but rejected the idea because the cost would be more than $3 million "without removing all of the flood risk".

Council asset planning manager Dr Laura McElhone said yesterday the council bought five affected properties, including the four houses, as an alternative.

She would not disclose the amount paid for the houses, only the total project cost which includes the cost of landscaping the area from which the houses are being removed.

A 2008 council report said the flooding was caused by high rainfall and runoff rates, "which have been exacerbated by residential development" in the top part of the catchment.

It suggested the "green engineering solution" would result in the stream being returned to a "more natural look".

"With landscaping, such areas can be visually very pleasing."

mark.price@odt.co.nz

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