Popular park swamped - again

BY JESSICA SUTTON

Feilding's Kitchener Park is under water again, and its key advocates are reiterating the need for immediate action to save the treasured reserve.

The Manawatu Standard invited Manawatu Mayor Ian McKelvie to join the park's curator Gavin Scott in surveying the damage yesterday, caused by widespread flooding in the region on Monday.

A third of the park was flooded with water spilling over from the neighbouring rivers, Makino and Mangaone, causing further significant damage to the park, which was also ravaged during the 2004 floods.

Manawatu District Council and Mr Scott have been pressing Horizons Regional Council to build further stopbank retention at the Makino River to prevent future flooding destroying the park.

Although the Makino River's floodgates were opened on Monday afternoon to keep river levels down, it didn't help ease the swollen Mangaone river, which had spilt over and created a new river through the park.

The boardwalks – which usually sit above the ground – were either on leans, underwater or covered in silt, and the rushing water had brought in cans, beer bottles and other rubbish.

Mr McKelvie was frustrated by the devastation and called for Horizons to act immediately to save the popular reserve.

"It's a great asset to the district and it is possible that this type of damage has happened in our history, but just without the silt which is the problem," he said.

"We need to discuss progress of protection of the park with Horizons and they need to see this, the way it is today.

"It's absolutely worth saving."

However, Horizons has said in the past that work on saving the park could be at least eight years away.

Mr Scott said the waterlogged reserve was heartbreaking.

"It was never designed to cope with silt and gravel and here it is, back again. It's a major setback, and it's just another nail in the coffin. I'm not sure how much more this place can take."

He said it would cost about $20,000 and at least three months to repair the latest damage.

Mr Scott said he warned Horizons of the risks should another flood hit.

"One-hundred-and-fifty-year-old Tawa trees are struggling to survive now.

"We've got a vision and passion for this place, but this is out of control. This place is buggered if action isn't taken urgently."

Surrounding houses have also been hit, with residents Doug and Pam Workman being forced to flee from their home yesterday after water started streaming into their property from Kitchener Park.

"The water reached the first step of our house, and although it was still a way off from the floor inside, we still wanted to get out of there," Mrs Workman said.

"The shed was filling up, so we put everything up off the floor and hoped for the best."

She said as a rural resident you had to be prepared for these sorts of things.

"We get it here because there's not enough stopbank retention in the Makino.

"Although we've got a plan for it now, it's still annoying that we're paying huge rates to Horizons for flood protection. I don't see any protection here."

Horizons Regional Council operation group manager Allan Cook said he understood the river had overflowed and had caused considerable damage.

"We'll be assessing the damage, alongside all the other damaged areas throughout the district."

Mr McKelvie said the Manawatu District Council would begin looking at alternatives with the Regional Council in the next triennium.

- © Fairfax NZ News