On a rainy day a decade on from a once-in-100-year flood, South Dunedin residents remain unconvinced much has changed.
In June 2015, about 175mm of rain fell on Dunedin in 24 hours, overloading the city’s stormwater and sewerage systems, closing roads and causing an estimated $138.4 million in damage and social and economic impact.
The Otago Daily Times this week visited some of those affected by the 2015 flood and found it still loomed large.
Nelson St resident Michael Bradshaw said he had not seen any improvement in council flood management since 2015.
"You barely see them clean up some drains," he said.
His family had lived in their home for more than 40 years and while his part of the street was not majorly impacted, houses 50m down the road needed to be significantly renovated, he said.
Mr Bradshaw said the biggest problem in South Dunedin was dense, new development on sections that would have historically hosted one house.
"So all that water's coming off those spoutings and creating more wash, more sewer pipes, drain pipes underground."
"But infrastructure hasn't been changed to take it — and yet they're saying, ‘oh, we might have to relocate all those houses one day’. Why do they let them build?"
Changes to the area’s piping system and bigger pumping stations would be the most impactful change for South Dunedin residents, Mr Bradshaw said.
"Council just has too many meetings, you know?"
"Just fix it ... get some shovels in the ground."
Further along Nelson Rd, resident Kevin Kehoe said he would "freak out" when it rained and was worried about future floods, watching the low part of his property to keep track of water levels.
He had lived in the house with his late partner Debbie Donnelly, who died in 2023.
The flood-damaged carpets and kitchen had to be ripped out following the 2015 flood, he said.
"I've just not done any more to the house ... our dream died when she died.
"She’s just my best friend. And we went through all these floods, and it really affected us quite badly."
The house and their belongings were further damaged by flooding in October last year.
It is now up for sale and Mr Kehoe planned to leave Dunedin.
He said he had seen Dunedin City Council workers resurface Nelson Rd three times and each time the height of the road had increased, sending water running off toward properties lining the street.
"Instead of grating it and keeping it straight, now it's got a big bow in it."
The council needed to take responsibility and "to talk to their people" in South Dunedin when planning for future flood management.
South Dunedin Stormwater Justice Group member Julian Doorey called for "stormwater justice" for the residents and businesses of South Dunedin, 10 years on from the "devastating" floods,
The council’s long-term South Dunedin Future programme was focused on climate change and while it might be helpful in 2100, it obstructed present stormwater flood prevention work, he said.
The letter was "a call to stop using climate change uncertainties as an excuse to delay upgrading stormwater infrastructure which has been undersized for decades".
"Long-term climate resilience requires engineered solutions for current stormwater failures now."
He was also concerned wastewater being diverted from hill suburbs into South Dunedin, particularly Surrey St, created "environmental hazards and serious health risks".
Council Three Waters group manager John McAndrew said since 2015 the council had made several improvements to its operations, including investing $300,000 in upgrading the Portobello Rd pump station, installing non-return valves at some high-risk properties in South Dunedin to prevent wastewater coming up into houses and overhauling maintenance and inspections of mud tanks.
The council was working to address wet weather overflow issues and had allocated about $60m for work in 2028/29 and planned to renew pipes in Kaikorai Valley.
About $29m in funding for three short-term flood management projects in South Dunedin was included in the draft long-term-plan, he said.
"Unfortunately there will always be times — as in 2015 — when the sheer volume of rainfall overwhelms our network’s capacity, despite recent improvements."
