Lindsay Creek, Dunedin.
Photo: RNZ / Tess Brunton

Otago Regional Council is considering how to address a significant flood risk in a Dunedin suburb.

Flooding and serious damage have been recorded at least 10 times in the Northeast Valley since the late 1860s.

On Wednesday, councilors will consider a report looking at possible research to reduce the risk of flooding from Lindsay Creek in the suburb.

Science and resilience general manager Tom Dyer said comprehensive flood protection plans for the northeast Valley had previously been considered due to community feedback and concerns about costs to residents.

But it was prudent to take a fresh look at the dangers of the Lindsay Creek floodplain and look at how to reduce the risk level, he said.

“The risk of flooding is higher than is generally considered acceptable in New Zealand or elsewhere in Otago for an urban area, so we must periodically consider how best to manage mitigation.”

The Lindsay Creek canal was actively managed by the council and some rock works, a debris trap and concrete walls were being maintained.

Proposed investigations which began this financial year will run until 2026-27, with a detailed assessment of the Lindsay Creek flood hazard, including all sources of flooding, the effects of climate change and how hazards such as landslides could affect flooding .

This would then inform flood risk reduction research and emergency flood responses, and could lead to a flood mitigation plan for the Lindsay Creek watershed.

Decisions were not expected until 2027/28.

Depending on the decision made – which could be to maintain the status quo, focus on nature-based solutions or build a flood protection plan – work could begin next financial year, Dyer said.

The Lindsay Creek catchment covers an area of ​​12 square kilometers with a main channel of 7 kilometers, but most of the stormwater network in the northeast Valley flows into the creek.

It joins the Water of Leith at the Botanic Gardens after running southwest from near Mount Cargill.

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