Christchurch residents are being told to buy their own sandbags in the event of flooding.
Properties in the Flockton Basin have been repeatedly flooded. Photo: RNZ
Last year's floods prompted the Christchurch City Council to distribute more than 20,000 sandbags to at-risk homes in the Flockton Basin but the council said it did not have the resources to do the same again this year.
A council spokesperson said the distribution of sandbags, and ensuring they were deployed safely, correctly and in a timely manner, was a high-demand operation.
It said it required resources to be diverted away from the core tasks of operating and maintaining land drainage infrastructure.
The council said it encouraged residents to make appropriate preparations for flooding, as they would for any potential natural disaster
Residents have been told they may purchase empty bags for 50 cents each, while sand is available from any garden centre and building supply outlet.
A spokesperson for the Flockton Cluster group, Jo Byrne, said people were having to fundraise to buy their own sandbags to try to protect their homes this winter.
She said buying large volumes of tarpaulin and sandbags was not easy for people under financial pressure, and some residents on benefits were struggling.
Ms Byrne said she hoped a new pump station in the area would ease flooding woes this year.
