Flood-prone residents in low-lying parts of Christchurch are welcoming city council moves to help protect their properties, but warn even those would not be enough.
Christchurch City Council has announced its preferred option for preventing flooding in the Flockton Basin.
Flooding in the Flockton Basin. Photo: RNZ / Nicola Grigg
The area in the suburb of Mairehau had been subjected to repeated flooding since the earthquakes which caused a large area of land to slump.
The council has opted for a pump station combined with an underground water diversion and the widening of some waterways to finally get on top of the problem.
Resident Jo Byrne who abandoned her house after having to evacuate it four times because of flooding, said all the drainage work being done was not going to fix the ground water table, which residents believed had risen since the earthquakes
"In an ideal world our houses would be lifted, the land would be remediated and the house replaced, this would put us in position we were at four years ago, which what we were insured for."
The pump station will be completed by February but construction of the diversion won't begin until April next year and is expected to take two years to complete.
Council manager for earthquake damaged infrastructure John Mackie said the area would start to see a real difference in the severity of flooding within a year.
The total cost is $48 million.
The projects were expected to reduce the risk from major floods for 144 homes but three properties may continue to experience flooding.
A flooded house in the Flockton Basin. Photo: RNZ / Nicola Grigg
The council is considering options for these households including moving them elsewhere.