Flooding victims to be homeless for one week?

Press, 30 January 1984, Page 1

Flooding victims to be homeless for one week?

PA Invercargill Some of the 2000 Invercargill residents moved out of their houses because of flood damage may not be allowed home for about a week, said the Civil Defence authorities last evening.

Invercargill Airport is expected to be out of action for at least three weeks. Invercargill basked in bright sunshine yesterday as flooding in most parts of the city receded and rivers began to fall. However, vast areas, including the airport and about 300 houses in Collingwood, remain flooded because water has been trapped behind flood banks and cannot escape. The official estimate of damage by the authorities so far is between $6 million and $8 million but unofficial estimates believe this could be light. About 10 small planes are under water at the airport. In all about 1000 houses and 3200 people have been affected by the flooding. The Earthquake and War Damage Commission has received 116 claims already and insurance companies have received many more. In one factory alone, damage was estimated at $250,000. Few businesses are expected to open in Invercargill this morning, and many of those which do will have cleaning up as their main task. Businesses in the commercial area of Prestonville, badly flooded on Friday,- will be unable to reopen or clean up because the area will remain restricted until floodwaters slowly drain away. The district commander of police, Superintendent T. V. Thomson, said last evening that there had been no report of looting. About 150 Army personnel are helping the police guard flooded areas night and day. Two men had broken into the flooded Collingwood liquor store and were arrested, Mr Thomson said. Two men seen climbing a roof in Gladstone Terrace had run off when approached by neighbours. There had also' been a smash-and-grab raid but these sorts of incidents could have occurred on any night, Superintendent Thomson said. The first batch of residents who had been moved out were allowed to return

to their homes yesterday afternoon and Gladstone Terrace was quickly restored to normal. Some residents even mowed lawns which only a day before were covered with floodwaters from the nearby Waihopai River. However, according to the Invercargill City health inspector, Mr Reg Beal, the Collingwood area will take much longer to clear. It could be until the end of the week, depending on the length of time it takes for the water to drop, before some Collingwood residents are allowed to return. Clearing houses for health and safety is being undertaken on a street-by-street basis so that everyone is treated equally. An exhausted Civil Defence controller, Mr Jim Brass, who has had six hours sleep since the emergency started on Thursday morning, said last evening that most of the public had been understanding but a few had created problems because they did not understand what was being done. Water and sewerage systems were coping although some sewage had spilled in the Collingwood area and needed to be neutralised with chemicals before residents could be allowed to return. More rain is predicted for Southland in the next few days. It is not expected to be more than light showers, however. About 900 houses in Invercargill were evacuated. The suburb of Otatara is still isolated, with food and other essential supplies being ferried in by jet boat. Road access throughout Southland is hazardous and generally restricted to four-wheel-drive vehicles. State highway 99, from Thornbury to Tuatapere, remains closed. The Railways Corporation hopes to have the DunedinInvercargill line open by tonight, but other lines are expected to remain closed for some time. The only area without telephones is Waianiwa. The task of inspecting houses for electrical safety will be a "major one, although the power supply has

been maintained continuously in most areas. Otautau, the worst hit town in Southland, showed the full effects of the disaster yesterday, as a mass of torn bitumen and debris lay strewn over the streets. About 600 residents moved to safety during the height of the flooding early on Friday morning were able to return to their homes yesterday to begin the laborious task of cleaning up. However, they were not allowed to reoccupy them until they had been checked by electrical and plumbing inspectors. At Tuatapere, the 300 residents moved out of their homes when the Waiau River swept through the town on Friday night, also returned yesterday to inspect the damage. Of the 60 houses evacuated, 20 were passed by the Wallace County Council for reoccupation today. The situation at Thornbury was not as grim as first thought. The Wallace County Clerk, Mr Lindsay

McKenzie, said that only three or four houses were evacuated there on Saturday morning. In Invercargill, about 1000 of the 17,000 houses in the city were affected by flooding. The areas worst affected were the Waikiwi and Grasmere suburbs to the north and the airport and Otatara areas to the west of the city. The Minister of Housing, Mr Freidlander, has announced special Housing Corporation assistance for flooded-out home owners. Mr Friedlander said the Housing Corporation had instructed the State Insurance office to settle any claims less than $lO,OOO direct with home owners with corporation mortgages. This would eliminate delay through clearing claims with the corporation before approaching State Insurance.

More flood pictures, P 22

Home-owners facing a shortfall in funds to repair flood damage after insurance payments had been made could be assisted by the corporation. These home-owners should approach the Housing Corporation with details in each case, which will be sympathetically considered on its merits under the home improvements loans scheme, Mr Friedlander said. The Minister of Civil Defence, Mr Highet, said in Invercargill he would recommend to the Cabinet today, that the Government grant aid to Southlanders hit by the flooding. The Civil Defence director, Mr Wira Gardiner, will co-ordi-nate Government resources. Southland had suffered one of the worst civil disasters in memory, said the acting leader of the Labour

Party, Mr G. W. R. Palmer, in Christchurch yesterday. Because of the scale of the disaster and the number of people who had been forced out of their homes, Mr Palmer said he had asked the Labour spokesman on internal affairs and civil defence to visit the area today. Mr J. J. Terris, member of Parliament for Western Hutt, would report to the first Labour Party caucus for 1984, which would be held on February 9. Mr Terris had been asked to report on • The nature and extent of the damage. • The measures taken to help the people who had suffered in the flood. • The adequacy of the Civil Defence machinery. • The adequacy of the new Civil Defence legislation. • Any action which should be taken by the Government.

Mr Palmer said that the Labour Party had no criticism to make of the Government’s handling of the emergency so far. “But because of the scale of the problem and the intricate issues likely to •arise in the aftermath, I felt it was necessary for the Opposition to be fully informed at first hand about this most unfortunate disaster,” he said. Mr Terris had waited until the recovery effort was under way before visiting the area ”to avoid putting any demands on the authorities in the area. Mr Palmer was not sure how long Mr Terris would stay in Southland. On behalf of the Labour Party, he extended sincere sympathy to the people of Southland.