Grey Lynn: Jan 2023 Floods

2025

The latest Waitemata Emergency Readiness and Response Plan was produced in March And here’s a Summary Sheet 

Auckland Emergency Managment:  Instructions

“No one knows your community better than residents.

First Responders

It’s important for everyone to come together, understand local emergency plans, and know how to respond in an emergency. Working as a team helps keep everyone safe and connected.

Your community’s first responders

In an emergency, your neighbours and local groups are often the first to help. Sports clubs, faith groups, and organisations like Neighbourhood Support play an important role in caring for each other. Emergency services will be busy throughout Auckland, so communities that prepare together are better able to support themselves”

 

Grey Lynn 2030 Concerns. 

We are concerned that sports clubs, faith groups, and organisations like Neighbourhood Support are not active with residents in our local community.

Churches – the larger churches in the area mainly for the Pacificka community.

Sport – Western Springs Football Club has locals in it. Ponsonby Rugby Club attracts players from all over the city.

Marae – there are no active and large marae in Waitemata Local Board area.

Neighbourhood Support – not active in Waitemata

Jan 2023: After the Floods

Transistion Towns have always had community resilience as part of the philosophy.

After the floods Grey Lynn 2030 ran three public events.

Stormy Water: How do we Prepare for the Next Flood 

Have you suddenly become more interested in Stormwater? After the recent #Aucklandfloods – you are not alone.
Grey Lynn 2030 organised a community educational event to learn from experts and to answer your questions.
Also this is a chance for locals to meet who want to plan to be better prepared for the next storm.
The Panel:
Alex Bonham – Waitemata Local Board (MC)
Dr Matthew Bradbury – Landscape Architecture Expert
Nick Vigar – Healthy Waters -Auckland Council
Hon Eugenie Sage – Green Party of NZ
David Abbott – St Mary’s Bay Residents Association
Questions:
Where are our historical streams and creeks? How do we find this information?
Who is responsible when a stormwater pipe runs on private land?
Will Auckland’s new Central Interceptor make any difference to storm water and flooding in our area?
Three Waters – what does this solve?
How can we individually create a more spongy city?
Is there anything we can do at our own homes?
Can Auckland Council afford to fix all the stormwater issues?
Managed Retreat in Grey Lynn – what would this mean?
Format
Panelists Presentation
Questions from the audience
Keep the converstion going! – Drinks in the Grey Lynn RSC Bar downstairs

Grey Lynn 2030 Readiness and Resilience

Grey Lynn 2030 was inspired by the Transition Town movement.
At the heart of this is the goal of building personal and community resilience.
Back when we started 15 years ago we thought 2030 was a long time away and expensive petrol would change the way we lived in cities. That didn’t happen – petrol got cheaper and there are more cars on the road than ever before.
What has happened recently though is a pandemic, a changed climate bringing with it unprecedented flooding.
One of the largest risks Auckland faces is a catastrophic power failure.
How would we cope without electricity?
Or another pandemic?
Or another flood?
Are we ready as a community for another civil defense emergency?
These are big questions for our community to respond to.
Luckily we have expert help from the new team from Auckland Council, Auckland Emergency Management.
Come listen to Reg Phillips who is our Senior Community Planning and Readiness Advisor who will guide us on what we can do as a community to be better prepared.and guide us through how to approach some of these questions:
How to make sure we have strong community networks in case of an emergency
What individual and collective preparedness plans do we need?
What does our community need to be able to respond for at least 72 hours of disaster?
How would we provide emergency shelter for people if they were displaced from their homes?
We are gathering from 5.00 pm for a drink and a snack downstairs at the Grey Lynn RSC. (The restaurant at the RSC is open again)
Our talk/meeting kicks off upstairs at the RSC at 6.00 pm
Come meet some neighbours and join in on getting our community prepared.

Hidden away in pipes below Grey Lynn, Ōpoutūkeha Cox’s Creek largely goes unnoticed. But last January, it forcefully reminded us of its presence, leaving houses and businesses flooded.

Join us for this guided walk along the route of Cox’s Creek, visiting sites where local volunteers are doing their bit for biodiversity and contributing to taming runoff. Visit Rose Road Gully, where COVID lockdowns sparked a flurry of weeding and planting, walk through the delightful Hakanoa Reserve, and finish with a rare look at a restored wetland on the former site of Cashmore’s timber mill.

This walk is followed by  “Flooded Streams: Reflections 12 Months On,” a chance to hear Nick Vigar, Head of Planning for Auckland Council’s Heathy Waters team, talk about the impact of last year’s flooding and what has happened since.