Recent flooding at the corner of Tenby Place and Newport Street. Photo: Supplied
Residents in the Christchurch suburb of Avondale are filled with dread whenever they see a weather forecast for rain.
People in Newport Street and Tenby Place in Avondale say when it starts raining they fear their street will yet again flood, and once again they will need to cancel plans and move their cars to a safe spot.
Tenby Place resident Heidi Oudemans said the area had always been prone to flooding with rain pooling on their street, but in the last couple of years it had got much worse, with the area flooding twice this year already.
"My friend around the corner who's been here for 60 years, she cannot remember the water having ever been this bad and I've been here for 30 years and I can't remember it this bad either," Oudemans said.
Newport Street resident Chris Morice said a couple of hours of heavy rain and his whole stretch of street becomes a lake.
"You feel very restricted. You know a lot of us can't get out. A lot of us have got to go to work and if you try to get out in a small car you finish up with water in the car. And it's the wear and tear, it's the damage of the vehicles, damage of the constant waterflow. Which unfortunately just doesn't seem to be resolved. There's a lot of talk but no action."
Tenby Place resident Heidi Oudemans says the frequent flooding in her street is getting worse. Photo: RNZ / Rachel Graham
Oudemans said she had often cancelled appointments because she simply could not leave her home.
Other Tenby Place residents spoke of not being able to get to work due to the flooding, or having to leave work early so they could be sure they could back to their homes.
Sandy Nicholson, in Tenby Place, said she too had often cancelled appointments on rainy days because she feared not being able to out of her home.
"If you've got a four-wheel-drive or one of those big trucks I think you've got more of a chance, but if I went out I could ruin my car, for a start."
Nicholson said she also feared what could happen in a major flood, especially with the Avon River not far from their street.
The floods in Auckland brought it home how quickly a situation can change from a nuisance to being dangerous, she said.
The city councillor for the area, Kelly Barber, said the situation was totally unacceptable.
"It's just not right. There are people who have complained about ambulances not being able to come in to pick up an elderly man who lives down one of the streets.
"There's a pregnant woman who expressed to me her real fears around being able to get out when the time to have her child comes along and and there's some elderly people who just don't feel safe when they walk out and the water's like knee deep on the streets."
On Wednesday, Heidi Oudemans will make a deputation to the Christchurch City Council calling on them to resolve the problem.
In a statement the Christchurch City Council's acting head of Three Waters, Brent Smith, said a report would be presented to this week's council meeting which looked at surface water issues across the city, including the Avondale issue.
The report suggests the area could be helped by upgrading the pipe network at a cost of $1.7 million, however the issues in Avondale are only one of 30 problem spots identified across the city.
