Properties needed for flood scheme

The Christchurch City Council is proposing to buy 13 properties in Bexley to make way for a $12.8 million flood mitigation scheme.

Five of the Pages Rd properties are vacant sections and eight contain homes, including a recently-built house.

One woman, who did not want to be named, said she had lived in her home since 1950 and did not want to leave.

The council already owns five properties on the triangle section of land bounded by Pages Rd, Anzac Dr and Knights Drain. It has already built a $4.8m pump station, as part of the scheme, on land at the site.

The land would be used to create two stormwater storage ponds as an extension to an existing neighbouring wetland.

The development would reduce the risk of flooding from rainfall and tidal events for about 80 homes.

The area surrounding the ponds would be planted as a native coastal forest to provide shading, support birdlife and enhance the surrounding environment.

A footpath would be built through the area, along with a viewing platform where the public could see the wetland and birdlife.

A report, to be discussed at a council meeting on Thursday, outlines four location options for the ponds, including the residential red zone and Bexley Park, but these options were not favoured by staff. Some options were more expensive and did not benefit as many homes. ‘‘It provides the greatest certainty of benefit, highest resilience and the lowest maintenance,’’ the report said about the Pages Rd option.

‘‘This option presents a more resilient and sustainable long term option as it reduces the risk of flooding.’’

The council has budgeted $3.5m to purchase the 13 properties, which had a combined rateable value of $2.5m. Designing and building the ponds would cost $4.5m.

The council has been working on flood mitigation options in the Knights Drain and Aranui area since 2015. It met with affected property owners last year and had another round of meetings earlier this year. The wider community was also consulted and 16 submissions were received.

The report said four written submissions were received by landowners, all supporting the proposed work. No written submissions were received from landowners against the scheme, but one owner told staff they wanted to remain in their home.

Nine people said they supported the plan, two did not and five supported it but had some concerns. Some people were concerned about the ability for existing landowners to afford properties in other areas, but these concerns were not expressed by the landowners themselves, the council said.

Some were worried about the continued maintenance of the area when it was built and were worried the ponds would attract midges and mosquitos.

The report said urban midge swarms were more commonly associated with wastewater ponds, which had a much higher nutrient and organic content than stormwater ponds.

‘‘Ways to reduce the risk of midges and mosquitos will be considered during detailed design.’’