Staff held a drop-in clinic in Mataura yesterday to listen to residents’ concerns and update them on the progress being made to improve the town’s stopbanks.
Integrated catchment management general manager Paul Hulse said in the past 20 to 30 years, river flows had been relatively stable.
However, Niwa data predicted the next 20 years could be different as weather patterns and climate change took effect.
"We might find we are having more frequent floods but also at a higher level and for longer duration."
While the stopbanks had done a good job over the past 30 years, with more flooding events they would be under greater pressure, he said.
He encouraged residents to be prepared to evacuate earlier than in the past while it was investigated how to improve the floodbanks.
Catchment operations manager Randal Beal said the stopbanks were about 30 years old.
"We need to do a stocktake on the current assets and assess their capability of standing up to future events."
It would cost about $110,000 for the assessment, which hopefully would be done before Christmas.
"That will tell us whether we need to rebuild them or come up with a different structure."
There was a lack of space to add width to the stopbanks because of nearby features, such as buildings, roads and railway tracks, that would make the work challenging, he said.
About 30 residents called in to the drop-in session.
Brian and Kathy Nicholl live on the Gore side of Boundary Creek about five minutes from Mataura.
In 2020, water from the Mataura River flooded up the creek and entered Mataura.
Earlier this year, the stopbank alongside the Mataura side of the creek had been extended and raised.
The couple were concerned this would push even more water into the ponding area near their house, they said.
They were hoping someone would help them in the next flood to move stock and shift their belongings from under their house — which was on stilts — to safety.
"We’ve been flooded twice and nobody’s ever knocked on the door and said ‘Do you want a hand?’," Mrs Nicholl said.
Mataura resident Alison Bishop said she had already been through two floods.
"I don’t think I could handle it again."
She was concerned about the build-up of shingle in the river not far from Bridge St.
"It needs to be taken out."
