Tauranga City Council's change of flood management policy has reached the final stages, with only six submissions received on a proposal that radically changes their approach to the issue.

The whole of catchment approach comes with a $2 million per annum reserve fund approved in the Long Term Plan process, that is used to buy the homes of people afflicted by regular flooding.

Details of the new flood policy will be decided next month. Photo: File.

Once the policy is adopted, any landowner previously flooded more than once in the last ten years and fulfilling other policy criteria is eligible to apply for assistance from the fund.

The key change in the policy is the focus on risk to life, not risk to property – although the fund is available for clean-up costs and flooding emergency response and recovery.

It can be also tapped for infrastructure delivery, where co-funding arrangements are proposed.

It is also available for use in undertaking initiatives on private and public land to enable stormwater to be conveyed away from risk areas, including landscape design improving ground soakage and opening up overland flow paths.

New floodwater flow paths on private land will be recognised by easements or covenants securing the area, ensuring no future buildings are constructed in the area.

Such flood management easements will be the responsibility of the property owner to maintain, in perpetuity.

Hugh Hughes and Leigh Pettigrew both spoke to their submissions.

Hugh Hughes wants different council departments to consult with each other if their decisions affect or have implications regarding other council departments.

He's unable to find out if the city drainage department was consulted before flood-prone property 39 Eversham Road was sub-divided.

Leigh Pettigrew wants the flood policy to concern itself with health and safety, rather than just safety of life.

'We look at what safety means,” says Leigh, 'the volume of water and speed it's travelling.

'What about the water that's going nowhere? It's deep, it's ponding and it's full of sewerage.

'People's health matters are as important as safety.”

The submissions on the policy will be deliberated on at a meeting on December 7.