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More than a year after the first of three major flood events swamped Pūhoi, Auckland Council is ripping up and replacing the town’s damaged football pitch and sportsfield.
The sports club and grounds first went underwater during the devastating Auckland Anniversary Weekend storm, when the entire community was inundated during the worst floods in living memory, followed by Cyclone Gabrielle and another huge storm over subsequent weeks.
When the waters receded, the sportsfield playing surface, like so much of the town, was left covered in a thick layer of stinking silt and couldn’t be used for fear of contamination.
Pūhoi Football Club was forced to move its training and matches to Victor Eaves Park in Ōrewa and the sports club building remained yellow-stickered and out of action for a year.
However, thanks to a funding boost specifically for storm damage from Auckland Council, the football turf is now being removed, replaced and reseeded at a cost of $130,000.
Pūhoi Football Club manager Troy Connolly said it had been a long wait for something to happen, but he was hopeful players could be on the new pitch by June this season.
“Which is good, because we’ve got more players than ever – we have four senior men’s and one senior women’s team this year,” he said.
More than $1.5 million has been allocated to Rodney Local Board out of a total of $12 million for sites with significant storm damage.
Another $100,000 from the funding is being used to replace a pedestrian bridge leading to the riverside reserve along Pūhoi River, which was swept away in the floods. Residents of Slowater Lane and Pūhoi
Close, whose homes back onto the reserve, have been asking for the bridge to be replaced, since it was the only way council contractors could access riverside path to mow it.
“It’s been 12 months since the reserve was mowed and it really needs cutting,” said one. “It’s a fire risk in summer.
“And if they build a half-decent bridge, they might be able to get a work truck in to clear debris still there from the storms. You used to be able to walk much further round the reserve towards the football field, but there are logs and all sorts of stuff jammed up against bamboo growing there.”
Other Rodney recipients include Kowhai Park in Warkworth, Scotts Landing and Leigh, all of which will get money to fix and restore storm-damaged tracks, paths and walkways, with Leigh getting the biggest chunk of $550,000.
There will also be $300,000 spent on coastal seawalls and structures throughout Rodney affected by storms.
All projects are due to be carried out in this current financial year.
A Rodney Local Board workshop last month also heard that the development of a district Readiness Dashboard to assess preparedness for future disasters was progressing well.
Council community broker for Rodney Sue Dodds said the new tool would provide a simple, practical framework for community emergency groups to assess their readiness for an emergency.
“It will also provide invaluable baseline information for Auckland Emergency Management and the Rodney Local Board on where Rodney groups sit and what the priorities for resourcing and support in Rodney are,” she said.
“I think we’ll end up with about 20 ‘mini-plans’, so we’ll have a good idea of what each area needs. They will be tailored to different groups and communities, and will join up all the people from the outset.
“It’s surprisingly good. Rodney is nearly half of Auckland’s land area, therefore resources need to be beefed up for any damage,” Dodds added.
Storm funding projects
Leigh
Remediate tracks and walkways in Leigh area
$550,000
Kowhai Park, Warkworth
Reroute damaged track
$150,000
Pūhoi Pioneers Memorial Park
Renew soil field that was repeatedly underwater
$130,000
Puhoi Esplanade
Renew pedestrian bridge at rear of 26 Slowater Lane backing onto riverside reserve
$100,000
Scotts Landing Walkway
Renew damaged steps, drainage and track in Reef Street
$18,674
Rodney-wide
Renew coastal seawalls and structures
$300,000
