An image taken by Selwyn Mayor Sam Broughton in a helicopter flyover shows the flooding around Te Waihora Lake Ellesmere on May 2. Photo: LDR/supplied
A decision by the Selwyn mayor to fly to Wellington while his region was under a heavy rain warning has been defended by the council boss.
Mayor Sam Broughton announced a state of emergency for his flood-hit region in a social media post on 1 May at 6.30am, from a hotel room in the capital.
Broughton and councillor Elizabeth Mundt flew to Wellington on the afternoon of 30 April for the All of Local Government meeting - a gathering of council and government representatives.
The MetService had issued an orange rain warning for Canterbury on the morning of 30 April.
Locals have expressed anger on social media that Broughton was not in Selwyn during the emergency.
Selwyn District Council chief executive Sharon Mason defended the decision for Broughton - who is the Local Government NZ president - to attend the event.
"We had been watching the weather forecasts all week, and the advice was that the bulk of the rain would fall in Waimakariri, Hurunui, and Kaikōura, and it was okay to travel," Mason said.
As the weather changed, Mason said she discussed with Broughton that it was better for her to remain in Selwyn.
Selwyn Mayor Sam Broughton Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver
"Sam stayed updated on developments from the team that evening and early Thursday morning when the decision was made to declare a state of emergency," Mason said.
"As it became clear that the predicted rain was falling further south than anticipated by both MetService and ECan [Canterbury's regional council] Flood Controllers, every effort was made to ensure smooth communication, and Cr Sophie Innes was deputised with the powers associated with the state of emergency.
The stormy weather in Wellington cancelled all flights in and out of the Capital, so the mayor drove to Palmerston North to catch a flight back on the afternoon of 1 May, she said.
The state of emergency was lifted at 3pm on Friday.
On his return, Broughton travelled in a helicopter with Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell, MP Vanessa Weenink members of the civil defence team.
Mason said it "provided a clear view of the hardest-hit areas and an overview of where swollen rivers and streams had overflowed".
"This was also an opportunity to explain to Minister Mitchell the dynamics of Te Waihora, particularly the importance of the lake's water level and the right tidal conditions for an effective opening."
A week later, the district is still counting the cost of the heavy rainfall and flooding, but Mason said it was too early to estimate the cost of recovery.
Mason said the focus is on supporting people who had homes and properties affected by flooding. The council was also assessing the damage to roads and bridges.
Broughton said the goal is always to prepare early, communicate clearly, open the Emergency Operations Centre promptly, and take a precautionary approach.
"While I believe we did these things well, there will always be room for improvement.
"I am incredibly proud and thankful for the hard work of our teams, our emergency services, and the great work neighbours did with and for each other."
The hardest hit areas were around Te Waihora Lake Ellesmere, including the towns of Leeston and Doyleston, which suffered severe surface flooding.
There was some criticism that Te Wiahora Lake Ellesmere could have been opened to the sea sooner to avoid the water flowing down the bulging Selwyn River from backing up and causing surface flooding.
ECan hazards general manager Leigh Griffiths said it was supposed to be opened before the heavy rain, but an opening wasn't possible.
"We didn't attempt an opening at that time because of the sea conditions - the swell was too large, so we were confident any attempts at opening wouldn't succeed."
The lake opening is jointly managed by Ngāi Tahu and ECan, and governed by the National Water Conservation Order and suite of Resource Consents.
Griffiths said consultation for a lake opening started on 28 April, and a joint decision was made to open late on 29 April, with the heavy rain starting on 1 May.
An opening was made on May 3, but the tide and waves closed it up again overnight, Griffiths said.
The lake was successfully opened to the sea again on Monday and remained open for 24 hours.
"Sea conditions are currently good. Machinery remains onsite to help the process along."
The cost of each opening ranges from $20,000 to $150,000, depending on the amount of work.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
