Sumner Residents Press For Drain

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31672, 7 May 1968, Page 18

Sumner Residents Press For Drain

More than 100 Sumner residents attending a special meeting in the Sumner Community Centre last evening to discuss the recent flooding in the area and the Civil Defence Organisation decided to ask the Christchurch Drainage Board to put into immedate effect a plan proposed by it last year for flood relief in Sumner.

The chairman of the meeting (Mr B. R. Hansen) said the relief drain was of paramount importance. The plan for the proposed drain suggested as the best by the board last year was designed to alleviate flooding for all time in Sumner. It would carry two-and-a-half times the volume of water that the present drain carried, and this was what Sumner wanted, he said. “A 78in diameter pipeline costing $3OOO has been recommended by the Drainage Board. We expected it last year, but the financial situation beat us. The postponement has been a bitter disappointment to us," he said. Sumner had suffered periodic flooding. It had been alleviated but not eliminated. There was probably no area in Christchurch which sufferred flooding on such a large scale as did Sumner. Mr Hansen said that a house-to-house survey made last week disclosed that 15streets in Sumner had been affected to some degree by the flooding. Thirty-two houses had flood water above floor level and had to be vacated and had floor coverings and furniture damaged to some extent Another 120 houses had water under the foundations. The occupants of some of the houses in the 15 streets recalled serious flooding of their homes four times in the last 30 years. Others had had lesser flooding on occasions ranging from three to seven times in the same period. Mr W. Baguley said Sumner wanted work on the relief drain begun before the end of the winter.

“This is not a request but a demand to get the drain going." he said. The meeting also decided to arrange for a petition to the board to be signed by Sumner residents demanding immediate relief of flooding to support the earlier resolution. Civil Defence A plan to implement an emergency relief system among Sumner residents until the Civil Defence Organisation became effective in the area was also approved by the meeting. Mr Baguley said that a form of civil defence did operate in Sumner during the recent flooding, even if it did not operate well. What did come out of the experience was the realisation that if there was any trouble in Sumner persons had to help their neighbours.

“This does not require chains of command and courses at Lincoln College. Many persons needed assistance after the flood had passed, and civil defence does not provide for this.

“It never crossed the minds of the civil defence authorities in Christchurch that we would need pumps to clear the water after the flood. I feel we have got to work among ourselves and establish a simple form of aid. “The police did not have everything under control. They are not experts in evacuation or flood relief. In rescue work they have to rely on qualified civilians. During the flood Sumner was inundated by policemen driving about in cars enjoying themselves. “The Army was excellent. The men were more interested in helping people than going around giving orders. “The Civil Defence Organisation in Christchurch has sat in judgment on itself and found itself not guilty. We have sat in judgment on ourselves and found ourselves guilty because we did not take action sooner,” Mr Baguley said. Mr P. Madden said the police should not control civil defence. “The whole system fell down from top to bottom. There must be people trained for emergencies, rescue and first aid.” Mr Baguley said the plan for mutual aid would look after Sumner until the relief dram was completed. Sumner was already well organised and self-contained. It was merely a case of taking advantarge of what there already was in the area. Sumner had its own radio communications, shops for supplies, first aid. Red Cross and accommodation. It could also clear up after a flood and get people back into their houses. The plan would provide a simple line of communications to persons who could go to a threatened area and assess the situation.