Latest news with #VictorLuca
Scoop
2 days ago
- Business
- Scoop
Rain Bombs Cast Cloud Over Matatā Housing Growth
Article – Diane McCarthy – Local Democracy Reporter Whakatne Mayor Victor Luca says building more homes within Matat now would be a mistake due to the potential damage from 'rain bombs' and worsening weather. Whakatāne Mayor Victor Luca says building more homes within Matatā now would be a mistake due to the potential damage from 'rain bombs' and worsening weather. Matatā is one of the areas named in the draft Eastern Bay Spatial Plan as a key growth area for housing, with infill housing of up to 700 homes and the potential for development of up to 800 homes eastward of Pollen Street over the next 30 years. At an infrastructure and planning committee meeting on Thursday, council learned that since August, Whakatāne District Council has spent more than $300,000 clearing sediment and debris from Matatā catchpits after it washed down from stream catchments due to localised 'rain bombs'. Most of the cost was incurred between between February and May due to several heavy rain events in the hills above the town during that period. Rain bombs are usually associated with burst of heavy rain that has potential to do damage. Luca said it would be a mistake to densify Matatā with what was going on there at the moment. 'Climate change is the elephant in the room and we seem to have consistently underestimated the effects. 'There's a micro-climate [in the Matatā catchment]. It's not totally predictable, but it looks like things are going to keep getting worse. 'These rain bombs that come – this is the second in 20 years but they don't have to be linear, there could be another one in a year or two. 'This has to be fixed and the people living there have to be given some comfort.' After the 2005 debris flow, the council placed sediment and debris catchpits in Matatā both at the Awatarariki Stream on the western side of the town and Waitepuru Stream on the north-eastern side of the town. A $70,000 annual maintenance budget is supposed to cover the cost of keeping these catchpits clear so that the town and lagoon do not suffer debris flooding events. Despite this, earlier this year a heavy rainfall event localised in the hills above Matatā saw sediment and debris overwhelm Moore's Bridge, which crosses the Awatarariki Stream, blocking State Highway 2 and entering properties on Pioneer Place. While some of the cost overrun for removing debris was covered from an emergency stormwater fund, $112,000 of unbudgeted spending needed to be approved which would likely come from an internal loan. This amount also included the repair of a blown out stormwater pipe in Murupara. Three waters manager Jim Finlay suggested this sediment and debris coming down the rivers could be mediated with rock weirs slowing the flow of the water, at an estimated cost to the council of $140,000. 'It's terrible that we're just sitting there waiting for this to happen and you have to clean up each time and if you don't you are possibly going to have flooding down the highway and through the town from both of those streams.' He likened it to 'someone having a party in your house every week and you've got to go and clean up the mess'. Councillor Gavin Dennis recently presented to the Bay of Plenty Regional Land Transport Committee about the Moores Bridge incident which resulted in a debris flood. He asked that the bridge be improved and that New Zealand Transport Agency and New Zealand Rail increase their maintenance on their State Highway 2 and railway bridges. Finlay said New Zealand Rail had since cleared out their culverts on the Awatarariki Stream and had further work planned for clearing culverts on the Waitepuru Stream.
Scoop
2 days ago
- Business
- Scoop
Rain Bombs Cast Cloud Over Matatā Housing Growth
Whakatāne Mayor Victor Luca says building more homes within Matatā now would be a mistake due to the potential damage from "rain bombs" and worsening weather. Matatā is one of the areas named in the draft Eastern Bay Spatial Plan as a key growth area for housing, with infill housing of up to 700 homes and the potential for development of up to 800 homes eastward of Pollen Street over the next 30 years. At an infrastructure and planning committee meeting on Thursday, council learned that since August, Whakatāne District Council has spent more than $300,000 clearing sediment and debris from Matatā catchpits after it washed down from stream catchments due to localised "rain bombs". Most of the cost was incurred between between February and May due to several heavy rain events in the hills above the town during that period. Rain bombs are usually associated with burst of heavy rain that has potential to do damage. Luca said it would be a mistake to densify Matatā with what was going on there at the moment. "Climate change is the elephant in the room and we seem to have consistently underestimated the effects. "There's a micro-climate [in the Matatā catchment]. It's not totally predictable, but it looks like things are going to keep getting worse. "These rain bombs that come - this is the second in 20 years but they don't have to be linear, there could be another one in a year or two. "This has to be fixed and the people living there have to be given some comfort." After the 2005 debris flow, the council placed sediment and debris catchpits in Matatā both at the Awatarariki Stream on the western side of the town and Waitepuru Stream on the north-eastern side of the town. A $70,000 annual maintenance budget is supposed to cover the cost of keeping these catchpits clear so that the town and lagoon do not suffer debris flooding events. Despite this, earlier this year a heavy rainfall event localised in the hills above Matatā saw sediment and debris overwhelm Moore's Bridge, which crosses the Awatarariki Stream, blocking State Highway 2 and entering properties on Pioneer Place. While some of the cost overrun for removing debris was covered from an emergency stormwater fund, $112,000 of unbudgeted spending needed to be approved which would likely come from an internal loan. This amount also included the repair of a blown out stormwater pipe in Murupara. Three waters manager Jim Finlay suggested this sediment and debris coming down the rivers could be mediated with rock weirs slowing the flow of the water, at an estimated cost to the council of $140,000. "It's terrible that we're just sitting there waiting for this to happen and you have to clean up each time and if you don't you are possibly going to have flooding down the highway and through the town from both of those streams." He likened it to "someone having a party in your house every week and you've got to go and clean up the mess". Councillor Gavin Dennis recently presented to the Bay of Plenty Regional Land Transport Committee about the Moores Bridge incident which resulted in a debris flood. He asked that the bridge be improved and that New Zealand Transport Agency and New Zealand Rail increase their maintenance on their State Highway 2 and railway bridges. Finlay said New Zealand Rail had since cleared out their culverts on the Awatarariki Stream and had further work planned for clearing culverts on the Waitepuru Stream.
NZ Herald
3 days ago
- Climate
- NZ Herald
Rain-bomb risks prompt caution on Matatā housing growth
Whakatāne Mayor Victor Luca says building more homes within Matatā now would be a mistake due to the potential damage from 'rain bombs' and worsening weather. Matatā is one of the areas named in the draft Eastern Bay Spatial Plan as a key growth area for housing, with infill housing
RNZ News
3 days ago
- Business
- RNZ News
Rain bombs cast cloud over Matatā housing growth
A rain bomb in the hills above Matatā in March this year saw sediment and debris-laden water overtop Moore's bridge closing State Highway 2 and entering private properties. Photo: LDR / supplied Whakatāne Mayor Victor Luca says building more homes within Matatā now would be a mistake due to the potential damage from "rain bombs" and worsening weather. Matatā is one of the areas named in the draft Eastern Bay Spatial Plan as a key growth area for housing, with infill housing of up to 700 homes and the potential for development of up to 800 homes eastward of Pollen Street over the next 30 years. At an infrastructure and planning committee meeting on Thursday, council learned that since August, Whakatāne District Council has spent more than $300,000 clearing sediment and debris from Matatā catchpits after it washed down from stream catchments due to localised "rain bombs". Most of the cost was incurred between between February and May due to several heavy rain events in the hills above the town during that period. Rain bombs are usually associated with burst of heavy rain that has potential to do damage. Luca said it would be a mistake to densify Matatā with what was going on there at the moment. "Climate change is the elephant in the room and we seem to have consistently underestimated the effects. "There's a micro-climate [in the Matatā catchment]. It's not totally predictable, but it looks like things are going to keep getting worse. "These rain bombs that come - this is the second in 20 years but they don't have to be linear, there could be another one in a year or two. "This has to be fixed and the people living there have to be given some comfort." A rain bomb in the hills above Matatā in March this year saw sediment and debris-laden water overtop Moore's bridge closing State Highway 2 and entering private properties. Photo: LDR / supplied After the 2005 debris flow, the council placed sediment and debris catchpits in Matatā both at the Awatarariki Stream on the western side of the town and Waitepuru Stream on the north-eastern side of the town. A $70,000 annual maintenance budget is supposed to cover the cost of keeping these catchpits clear so that the town and lagoon do not suffer debris flooding events. Despite this, earlier this year a heavy rainfall event localised in the hills above Matatā saw sediment and debris overwhelm Moore's Bridge, which crosses the Awatarariki Stream, blocking State Highway 2 and entering properties on Pioneer Place. While some of the cost overrun for removing debris was covered from an emergency stormwater fund, $112,000 of unbudgeted spending needed to be approved which would likely come from an internal loan. This amount also included the repair of a blown out stormwater pipe in Murupara. Three waters manager Jim Finlay suggested this sediment and debris coming down the rivers could be mediated with rock weirs slowing the flow of the water, at an estimated cost to the council of $140,000. "It's terrible that we're just sitting there waiting for this to happen and you have to clean up each time and if you don't you are possibly going to have flooding down the highway and through the town from both of those streams." He likened it to "someone having a party in your house every week and you've got to go and clean up the mess". Councillor Gavin Dennis recently presented to the Bay of Plenty Regional Land Transport Committee about the Moores Bridge incident which resulted in a debris flood. He asked that the bridge be improved and that New Zealand Transport Agency and New Zealand Rail increase their maintenance on their State Highway 2 and railway bridges. Finlay said New Zealand Rail had since cleared out their culverts on the Awatarariki Stream and had further work planned for clearing culverts on the Waitepuru Stream. LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Scoop
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Mayor Goes Cap In Hand For New Bridge
Whakatāne Mayor Victor Luca is seeking community support for his proposal for a second river crossing for the township. Dr Luca has been advocating for a second bridge for Whakatāne since he entered council in 2019. He is creating a petition to accompany a proposal he has written, to take to the Minister of Infrastructure Chris Bishop. The petition will be circulated around town. 'We're just going cap in hand to Government,' he said. Since he became mayor in 2022, Dr Luca has continued to push for a new bridge, speaking to the East Coast's MP at the time, Kiri Allen, and former Transport Minister Simeon Brown. In August 2023, his request that council staff put together a proposal for a second river crossing was agreed to at a council meeting. However, the proposal never eventuated. 'That didn't go anywhere, so I decided to write it myself,' Dr Luca said. 'I started in the second half of last year. 'We'll send that in to the minister with a petition, hopefully with a few thousand signatures on it.' Last year, he also managed to have an application for funding for a full business case included in the Regional Land Transport Plan. 'The bridge proposal was ranked 12th or 13th in the Bay of Plenty, and I was quite hopeful at one point. But unbeknownst to me [central government] didn't provide a lot of funding and it seems as if most of it has gone to Tauranga and the Western Bay. We didn't get even a look in. But if you don't rattle the cage or stir things up, then you're not going to get a bridge.' He emphasises the proposal is not a business case and although it identifies several potential locations that have been suggested by people over the years, it does not advocate for any particular location for a bridge. 'Every man and his dog are going to have a view on where it should go,' he said. 'It's all about advocating. The detail would come in a full-blown business case.' The proposal outlines the 'significant challenges' faced by the Eastern Bay due to its largest town's reliance on the Landing Road Bridge, constructed in 1962 'and now under increasing strain from growing population, seismic risks, and climate-related threats'. It points out the Whakatāne district's population has nearly tripled since the Landing Road bridge was built and is projected to reach 42,500 by 2033. The proposal asks for funding for a detailed business case, geo-spatial analysis, technical feasibility studies, and benefit-cost evaluations. It also asks the minister to initiate collaborative planning, such as partnering with regional councils, iwi, and stakeholders to align priorities and resources, to incorporate lessons from Cyclone Gabrielle and focus on long-term climate adaptation strategies. He said people needed to front up if the proposal was to get any attention from central government. 'If this town wants a second bridge, it needs to get out and sign up to a petition which could accompany a proposal, which will be sent to the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Chris Bishop. 'It's still a fair way to go but if you don't do the advocacy and you don't have the nod from upstairs, you're probably not going to get anywhere. This is one step on the road. It's what I promised my community I was going to do, which is advocate for the bridge so that's what I'm doing.'
