Tauranga City Council was accused of allowing residents homes to flood and spending money on 'silly fluffy stuff” instead of fixing stormwater drains.

Matua resident Stuart Gooch made the remarks highlighting council inertia over stormwater issues in Levers Road at the draft annual plan submissions yesterday.

Heavy rain caused flash flooding throughout the city.

The properties between Levers Road and Mahoe Street were flooded in 2005 and again during heavy rain three weeks ago.

After the first floods residents spent 18 months communicating with council and they thought a solution had been found – but nothing happened.

'The council decided to do something different and didn't have the decency or intelligence to let anyone know,” says Stuart.

'These individuals are suffering and they have never been informed as to what the solution is, when it's going to happen, or what it's about.”

He told councillors they have a fiduciary duty to look after the core needs of the city, instead of spending money here and there.

It's affecting the city's growth which is slowing according to SmartGrowth figures, says Stuart.

'How can we expect people to come and buy here when the next thing, they are flooded out?

'Really it's about time somebody took hold of this these things and did something about it.”

Mayor Stuart Crosby called drainage services manager Graeme Dohnt who wasn't in charge in 2005, to explain council's position.

'There was public consultation on the project we had out there. That's all I can say at this stage,” says Graeme.

Councillor Wayne Moultrie asked if the Matua properties are worse off than the Commons Avenue residents in Mount Maunganui, and who should get priority.

Stuart's reply was a priority list would be formulated.

'The point about spending money - is spend it on the things that need to be done. We have had enough of this fluffy, wuffy stuff,” says Stuart.

'When it comes to people being flooded and sewerage in the streets, it doesn't seem to have the priority that it would have had 30-40 years ago.”

The city council's stormwater capital works budget is $5.53million each year. Fixing Matua will cost $6.7million, and is scheduled for 2018-19.

Higher priorities are Mount Maunganui's industrial area, drainage associated with the Welcome Bay underpass, and the Bayfair intersection.

Whether Matua will have its priority changed will depend on the outcome of the council's annual plan debate in early June.