Two Dunedin engineers' appeal to the Environment Court to have the consents to complete the $21.4 million Leith Lindsay Flood Protection Scheme cancelled began in Dunedin yesterday.
Neil Johnstone, a former Otago Regional Council investigations engineer and former Otago Catchment Board engineer John Gillies appealed the decision by an independent panel last year to grant 61 consents for the scheme on the basis it would result in a higher level of flood
protection for the community.
The appeal, expected to continue all week, is being heard by Judge Jeff Smith and commissioners Diane Menzies and Russell Howie at the Dunedin District Court.
Yesterday, the Otago Regional Council's counsel, Alastair Logan, outlined the background of the project, which involved land use consents, water permits and discharge permits for flood protection works on five reaches of the Water of Leith and Lindsay Creek.
Mr Gillies' and Mr Johnstone's contention the proposals were an "amenity enhancement scheme masquerading as flood protection'' was rejected, he said.
The works would not aggravate flood events bigger than what they were designed for and by improving channel capacity the effects of a break-out would be reduced.
If climate change translated into more intensive rainfall events and greater flood flows, the scheme would ensure a greater proportion of flood water was contained than would be the case with the current river channels, Mr Logan said.
"The proposal, when implemented will reduce the flooding without creating any new adverse effects. Accordingly, the grant of consent should be upheld.''
Cross-examination of the first regional council witness, ORC environmental engineering and natural hazards director Dr Gavin Palmer, followed.
Mr Johnstone, who along with Mr Gillies, was representing himself, asked why if Alexandra, Taieri Plain and Balclutha's flood protection schemes aimed to meet the largest-known flood in their respective areas, why was that not the case with the Leith-Lindsay, where the proposed
scheme was 25% less?
"The Water of Leith is by far the steepest, by far the most turbulent waterway which flows through a highly-, densely-populated urban area.''
Dr Palmer said they had taken into account a "super-design'' flood and the works proposed for the Leith were different from the earth flood banks of the other schemes as they would contain floods below ground.
