Selwyn_Times: August 09, 2023
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Wednesday <strong>August</strong> 9 <strong>2023</strong> <strong>Selwyn</strong> <strong>Times</strong><br />
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz<br />
NEWS 5<br />
Flood victims discuss solutions<br />
• By Daniel Alvey<br />
POSSIBLE solutions have<br />
been offered to a family whose<br />
property has flooded for the past<br />
two winters.<br />
Anna and Josh Pedersen and<br />
their three young children were<br />
once again forced to moved<br />
out of their Tancreds Rd,<br />
Ladbrooks, property after the<br />
heavy rainfall event at the end of<br />
last month.<br />
Their property, along with others<br />
in the area, is located within<br />
the Halswell Drainage Scheme<br />
and is adjacent to Environment<br />
Canterbury’s Blacklers drain.<br />
The family met with ECan<br />
rivers manager David Aires to<br />
discuss their issues on Thursday,<br />
the day after the <strong>Selwyn</strong> <strong>Times</strong><br />
highlighted their plight.<br />
“It was a really good chat, very<br />
productive, learned a bit more<br />
again,” Josh said.<br />
Following the meeting Josh<br />
said he received an email from<br />
ECan proposing a potential<br />
solution. In the email a senior<br />
river engineer provided some<br />
commentary around the merits<br />
of a floodgate.<br />
Two locations for a floodgate<br />
were offered, somewhere in the<br />
downstream 300m of Blacklers<br />
Drain, or adjacent to Perrymans<br />
Rd. It was suggested the<br />
floodgate be plumbed into the<br />
road, as it is raised above general<br />
ground level, either immediately<br />
upstream or downstream of the<br />
road.<br />
The engineer said those locations<br />
have the least risk of being<br />
bypassed by water overtopping<br />
general ground level elsewhere.<br />
The engineer said effects on<br />
the other areas are yet to be<br />
investigated.<br />
“A major issue with either<br />
option is the displacement of<br />
floodwaters and effects on others<br />
further down the system, if<br />
indeed a gate would be effective,”<br />
the email said.<br />
Josh said it remains to be seen<br />
whether any solutions will be<br />
implemented.<br />
“I’m certainly more positive.<br />
It’s probably now just a cost<br />
question I think and the<br />
willingness of ECan to do<br />
something.”<br />
Anna said it can take up to six<br />
weeks for their 4ha property to<br />
drain completely after flooding.<br />
They keep some animals,<br />
including cattle, sheep, and<br />
pigs. When the flooding hits,<br />
the cattle and sheep have to be<br />
moved to the neighbours’.<br />
In last week’s <strong>Selwyn</strong> <strong>Times</strong>,<br />
the family blamed<br />
ECan, which they said<br />
was not listening to<br />
their concerns over the<br />
flooding.<br />
“I feel like they<br />
are just expecting<br />
us to put our<br />
heads in the<br />
sand and go<br />
away,” Anna<br />
said at the<br />
time.<br />
Following<br />
the article in<br />
the <strong>Selwyn</strong><br />
<strong>Times</strong>, Josh<br />
said he has<br />
heard from<br />
other property<br />
owners in the area<br />
experiencing similar<br />
issues.<br />
LAKE: Anna and Josh Pedersen’s 4ha Ladbrooks property has flooded again this winter. PHOTOS: DANIEL ALVEY, JOHN SPURDLE<br />
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