July 20, 2020
Work needed to stop repeat floods in Moerewa
Te Taitokerau MP Kelvin Davis says major flood prevention work may be needed to protect Moerewa from frequent inundation.
Mr Davis travelled to the mid-North township yesterday with Civil Defence Minister Peeni Henare to assess the aftermath of heavy rains on Saturday that caused widespread floods and slips, blocking roads to the far north.
He says it’s a feature of Northland that floods can come up quickly and then drain away as the tide drops.
The flooded area included Ōtiria Marae, which had water almost to its floorboards because of overflow from a nearby creek.
"There’s a massive catchment at the back of Moerewa, Mōtatau, Matawaia, those places, and all the water basically comes down one stream and there's been a few changes over the past decade or so that's pushing the water in the wrong direction so there are issues there for the regional council, local council and government to collaborate on and see what we can do about it because those poor people, I really feel for them. They must be praying pretty hard whenever there is a decent rainfall," Mr Davis says.
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