OPINION: We can’t pipe our way out of climate change; when the pipes fail, water finds its own way

This opinion piece is from Craig Mcilroy, General Manager, Health Waters and Flood Resilience, Auckland Council.

There’s a moment in every major storm when stormwater stops being an engineering term and becomes deeply personal.

For Aucklanders, that moment came during the 2023 Anniversary Weekend floods. For Wellingtonians, many experienced it again this year. One minute it’s heavy rain; the next, streets are rivers, parks are lakes, and people are wondering whether the water will stop at the driveway or come through the front door.

Across the sector, there’s growing recognition that New Zealand has reached a turning point in how we manage flood risk in a changing climate.

I’ve worked in stormwater and flood resilience for a long time. It’s genuinely my favourite topic which probably places me in a fairly niche category of dinner party guest. But over the past few years, stormwater has become everyone’s topic.

Because the reality is this: the way New Zealand has traditionally managed stormwater is no longer enough for the climate conditions we are now living with.