River Flood Trigger Points
Alan Thompson made this Official Information request to Hutt City Council
The request was successful.
From: Alan Thompson
Dear Hutt City Council,
On Dec 6th a flooding event occurred in the Hutt Valley. As a consequence a number of vehicles were damaged that were parked in the Riverside Carpark (a council facility). A civilian also placed themselves at some serious personal risk attempting to tow trapped vehicles from the rising water.
It was stated in the Hutt News by a council representative that they were monitoring the river. Under the provisions of the LGOIA I wish to know:
1. From what time on the 6th Dec was the council representatives monitoring the rising river levels and flow with respect to the impending danger and developing situation?
2. What currently are the trigger points and locations (with respect to the river height and/or flow) that the Standard Operating Procedures require that the river car park be closed?
3. Similarly, what currently are the trigger points that determine:
- when car owners and/or other registered parties revive advice (eg TxT) warning of the danger?
- when the council will engage a Tow Firm to remove vehicles threatened by rising Hutt River waters?
4. Were the above trigger points reached and the standard procedures enacted?
Thank you.
Alan Thompson
Lower Hutt
From: Information Management Team
Hutt City Council
Tēnā koe Alan Thompson,
REQUEST FOR INFORMATION - LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL INFORMATION AND
MEETINGS ACT 1987: ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF REQUEST
I am writing to acknowledge receipt of your official information request
dated 8 December 2021 for information regarding River Flood Trigger
Points.
We received your request on 8 December 2021. We will endeavour to respond
to your request as soon as possible and in any event no later than 20
working days after the day your request was received. If we are unable to
respond to your request by then, we will notify you of an extension of
that timeframe.
If any additional factors come to light which are relevant to your
request, please do not hesitate to contact us so that these can be taken
into account.
Nāku noa, nā
Kate Ostapowicz
Senior Advisor, Official Information
Hutt City Council, 30 Laings Road, Private Bag 31912, Lower Hutt 5040, New
Zealand
M 027 265 5849 W [1]www.huttcity.govt.nz
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From: Susan Sales
Hutt City Council
Good morning Alan
Please find attached Hutt City Council’s response to your request for
information about flooding of the Hutt River.
Ngā mihi
Susan Sales
Ringa Āwhina Tāhūhū ki Te Koromatua | Senior Advisor
Te Kaunihera o Te Awa Kairangi | Hutt City Council, [1]30 Laings Road,
Private Bag 31912, Lower Hutt 5040, New Zealand
Paetukutuku: [2]www.huttcity.govt.nz
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From: Alan Thompson
Dear Ms Sales,
Thank you for your response to my OIA re the Hutt River levels. However, you have failed to provide the information that I requested:
1. I requested the time on the 6th of Dec that Hutt City began monitoring the levels in the Hutt River.
Your response only advised that you monitored the levels on the 5th and 6th. No times were
provided.as requested.
2. I requested the location at which Hutt City monitor the level/flow. You advised "across the length of
the river". This can not possibly be correct. I also requested the level (from your SOPs) that the Hutt
River Bank carpark is closed to the Public. You did not provide that information>.
3. As a number of cars were trapped by the river flood and damaged, I request that you confirm your
advice that "Contractors and towing vehicles were contacted when the river reached 2 Metres" (and
that they deployed to forward locations). Ie, If this had occurred would you not expect that any
vehicles at risk would have been moved well before the car park flooded?
I request that you provide the information as I requested and confirm the other advice as set out above.
Thank you.
Alan Thompson
Lower Hutt
From: Information Management Team
Hutt City Council
Thank you for your response Alan.
We will review the questions and provide you with any additional information that is available.
Ngā mihi
Susan Sales
Ringa Āwhina Tāhūhū ki Te Koromatua | Senior Advisor
Te Kaunihera o Te Awa Kairangi | Hutt City Council, 30 Laings Road, Private Bag 31912, Lower Hutt 5040, New Zealand
Paetukutuku: www.huttcity.govt.nz
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From: Information Management Team
Hutt City Council
Kia ora Alan
Thank you for your further email of 1 February 2022, asking for clarification of our earlier information request response.
We respond as follows:
Q1 Active monitoring of the Hutt River was underway by 6.12am on 6 December 2021.
Q2 Monitoring points are located along the length of the Hutt River. At around 2-3 metres, council staff, contractors and volunteers begin a series of emergency response actions which can include closure of the riverbank carparks. The riverbank carparks were closed to new vehicles at around 10.00am on 6 December 2021, and a text alert was sent to subscribers advising them to move their cars from the carparks at about the same time.
Q3 In order to provide you with further context in terms of the information you have requested, contractors and towing vehicles were contacted at around 10am on 6 December 2021. More towing vehicles were requested at about 11.00am. At around 2pm, the towing operator was instructed to cease their operations as conditions were deemed unsafe for them to continue. Some public vehicles remained in the carpark when towing ceased.
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this response. Information about how to make a complaint is available at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802 602.
Please note that this correspondence may be published on the Council’s website.
Ngâ mihi
Susan Sales
Ringa Âwhina Tâhûhû ki Te Koromatua | Senior Advisor
Te Kaunihera o Te Awa Kairangi | Hutt City Council, 30 Laings Road, Private Bag 31912, Lower Hutt 5040, New Zealand
Paetukutuku: www.huttcity.govt.nz
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