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Auckland Council has chosen not to provide private property owners with sandbags ahead of severe storms, as it did before Cyclone Gabrielle, unless directed to by an emergency authority.
At council’s Civil Defence and Emergency Management Committee on June 4, there were three options on the table: supplying sandbags to protect private property ahead of severe weather with the cost carried by ratepayers; not supplying sandbags; and only supplying sandbags when directed to by an emergency authority.
Auckland Emergency Management head of operations John Cranfield said there was no consistent approach to the issue in Auckland, or nationally.
He said that 190,000 sandbags were provided across three stations in Auckland before last year’s cyclone.
“In the lead up to Cyclone Gabrielle, we did provide sandbags and we provided them at scale,” he said. “Demand significantly exceeded the available supply and [the process] resulted in a significant amount of resourcing, time, effort and cost. If we can get a consistent approach, it will provide us with a greater level of certainty.”
Houkura member Glenn Wilcox asked if there was any legal risk of council not providing sandbags, should a stormwater drain overflow into a property adjoining a council property, for example.
Auckland Emergency Management acting general manager Adam Maggs said that council would still protect public assets and do its due diligence around areas that it is responsible for.
“I guess we are talking more about individual property owners taking more responsibility themselves,” Maggs said.
Chair Sharon Stewart said it was important for communities to be educated and prepared.
“A lot of people who know they have got flooding issues need to educate themselves, get the bags and have them ready,” Stewart said.
