Auckland Council’s Neglect Is Now Devaluing Homes — And Pouring Fuel on a Flooding Crisis

When Council Maps Replace Common Sense (Part II)

by Mykeljon Winckel

For years, residents living near the Tutaenui Stream have warned the Auckland Council of a growing and entirely preventable problem: a choked, neglected waterway that has become a repeat flooding hazard. The solution is neither complex nor controversial — the stream simply needs proper clearing and ongoing maintenance. Contractors themselves have confirmed it. A similar clearance in 2003 kept the area safe for eight years.

Yet today, instead of maintaining the infrastructure it already has, the Council is quietly preparing to approve a 600-home subdivision on the south end of the former Pukekohe Park race track. Two-storey townhouses, tightly packed, built for maximum yield. And where will all that stormwater go? Directly into the already distressed Tutaenui Stream — the same stream the Council refuses to maintain.

This isn’t just bad planning. It’s negligence with consequences.

A Man-Made Flood Zone Created by Bureaucratic Inaction

Residents who have lived here for decades now find their homes slapped with flood-zone designations under Plan 120. Titles have been devalued. Banks are wary. Insurance companies are walking away. Properties that once formed the backbone of a stable community are suddenly unsellable.

This isn’t just bad planning. It’s negligence with consequences.

But here is the part Aucklanders will find hard to swallow: This is not a natural disaster. This is a Council-made disaster.

The stream floods because it has not been maintained. The Council knows this. Contractors have told them. Residents have begged them. And yet the Council has allowed the problem to worsen — and then used its own failure of maintenance to justify slapping flood-hazard labels on innocent homeowners.

This is not climate change. This is bureaucratic neglect.

And now, incredibly, the same Council wants to intensify the problem by funnelling the runoff of 600 new houses into the very stream they refuse to fix.

Let’s not pretend this is about “housing need.” This is about rates, development contributions, and short-term revenue streams.

Promises Broken, Trust Eroded

At a recent meeting, Council representative Kelly Cotter made a clear commitment: No new development would be allowed if it burdened an already stressed waterway. Residents took that at face value. They trusted the statement. But the push for this subdivision directly contradicts it. The message is clear: assurances to the public are optional, but revenue from large developers is not.

A responsible council would not intensify a hazard it created. A responsible council would fix the stream first. A responsible council would protect its people, not just its revenue. Until that happens, this subdivision must not go ahead.

Profit for Developers — Pain for Residents

Let’s not pretend this is about “housing need.” This is about rates, development contributions, and short-term revenue streams. Meanwhile: • Existing homeowners face financial ruin through devalued titles. • Insurance becomes impossible or unaffordable. • Flooding risk increases dramatically. • Roads already at breaking point will be overwhelmed with up to 1,200 new cars. • And future residents — the ones being promised “new homes” — will inherit a flooding problem the Council already refuses to fix. The Council is not planning for growth. It is planning for cash flow.

Enough! Fix the Stream Before You Build Another House.

It is not unreasonable for residents to demand:

1. Immediate clearing and maintenance of the Tutaenui Stream — before any development is approved.

2. A proper, independent traffic impact study.

3. That existing ratepayers — who have paid into the system for decades — are protected before new ratepayers are courted.

A responsible council would not intensify a hazard it created. A responsible council would fix the stream first. A responsible council would protect its people, not just its revenue. Until that happens, this subdivision must not go ahead.

Below is the full letter sent by community member Dave Mills, which sets out these concerns directly.

Full Letter to the Editor (As Provided)

Dear Neighbours,

We face a very concerning issue in our area. The Council is proposing to allow up to 600 two storey houses to be built on the south end of the former Pukekohe race track (Pukekohe Park).

Why this matters:

Flooding risk

• All water runoff from these houses will drain into the Tutaenui Stream.
• The stream is already in poor condition and prone to flooding, damaging adjacent properties.
• Despite repeated requests, Council has refused to clear the stream. Contractors (Nicholson) have confirmed that clearing it, as they did in 2003, would solve flooding issues for around 8 years.

Traffic congestion

• 600 houses means potentially 1,200 more residents and cars.
• This will add enormous pressure to an already overloaded road network, which struggles with current traffic volumes.

Broken promises

• At a recent meeting, Mr. Kelly Cotter stated that no new building would be allowed if it harmed already burdened waterways.
• Yet this proposal directly contradicts that assurance.

Our concern:

Council appears more focused on revenue from developers and future rates than on the wellbeing of existing ratepayers. This decision disregards the flooding risks, traffic problems, and the promises made to our community.

What we ask:

We urge Council to:

• Halt approval of this housing development until the Tutaenui Stream is properly cleared and maintained.
• Conduct a full traffic impact assessment before allowing any new housing in this area.
• Put the needs of existing residents first, not just future revenue.

Regards, Dave Mills