North East Valley. Photo by ODT.
Lindsay Creek ratepayers may face a 72% increase in their
flood protection rates in nine years, if work to protect their
Northeast Valley, Dunedin, homes and businesses goes ahead.
Annually, a 7% increase in flood protection rates has been
proposed for those homes judged to benefit directly from
works to ease the flooding risk to 450 homes, several schools
and commercial premises and part of North Rd.
Tomorrow, Otago regional councillors will consider two
reports - one outlining in detail the works programme and
costs of the flood mitigation work, and the second how the
scheme could be funded - to decide whether to put the
proposals out for public consultation.
The total estimated cost of the scheme was estimated to be
$1.5 million (inflation adjusted construction cost $967,660),
plus another $127,000 if the council decided to buy four
additional strips of land.
It would be 98% funded by those who would benefit the most
from the work through a new special rating district, with 2%
funded by Dunedin city ratepayers.
About $70,000 was collected from Lindsay Creek ratepayers
already, through the Leith Lindsay flood protection scheme,
which would increase to $85,500 in the first year and with
future rates increases could mean the scheme would be paid
off in 16 years, the report said.
It was suggested the proposed works would provide some delay
in flooding, giving people more time to respond, reduce the
amount of floodwater that would flow into the area, and while
it would still flow over North Rd, it would not be as much or
for as long.
While a proposal for works in the Lindsay Creek area was
announced last October, one of the reports gives more detail
of the scheme, which involves creating a detention area in
Chingford Park, complemented by small-scale channel works and
having a small temporary flood detention area in the gully
upstream of Forrester Park Hill.
''This approach provides immediate benefit to Northeast
Valley everywhere downstream of the detention areas.''
Floodwater from Lindsay Creek would enter the detention area
whenever flows exceeded about 18cumecs at Chingford Park,
about the size of the peak flow in the April 2006 flood, it
said.
The detention area would have a capacity of 9400cu m of
floodwater and a grassed spillway would ensure controlled
spill back into the creek, once the pond became full.
For a flood as in February 1991, the detention area would be
underwater for about three hours and for one as in April
2006, up to five hours. In both cases, the level of the water
would be 1m below its maximum level.
If the project was approved and consents granted, it was
proposed construction could begin in 2016-17 and finish in
2017-18.
Approval would be needed from the Dunedin City Council, which
owned Chingford Park, and agreement was also needed from a
landowner upstream of Forrester Park, for use of a small part
of the property to detain overland flow, the report said.
''The works could not proceed without those approvals.''
It was proposed the archery facilities in the park affected
by the embankment could be relocated or reconstructed within
the park.
The regional council's finance and corporate committee will
decide tomorrow whether to include the proposal as a proposed
amendment to the 2012-22 long-term plan, which would be put
out for public consultation during the draft annual plan
process.
It would also decide on the purchase of the four additional
strips of land and the sale of properties not needed for the
work.
|
Lindsay Creek flood protection
scheme: estimated rating impact
|
Capital Value
|
2013-14
|
2021-22
|
2022-29
|
|
$200,000
|
$175.18
|
$300.99
|
$483.32
|
|
$300,000
|
$262.76
|
$451.48
|
$724.97
|
|
$500,000
|
$437.94
|
$752.46
|
$1208.
|
Proposed scheme
• Total scheme construction costs $880,000 in today's money.
• Would protect about 450 homes plus schools and businesses.
• Use part of Chingford Park and an area upstream of Forester
Park landfill to hold floodwater.
• A 2m-2.5m grassed earth embankment to be constructed at
Chingford Park at cost of $690,000, connected to Lindsay
Creek by a wide, grassed swale.
• Would be of most benefit in small floods.
rebecca.fox@odt.co.nz
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