Condemned and into the skip

As the cleanup in Canvastown continues after last week's flood, residents such as Alan Manning are coming to terms with the future of their properties.

Mr Manning and his wife, Janet, lived on Wakamarina Rd in Canvastown, but after floodwaters had left their home all but officially condemned they have been living in a motel unit at the Trout Hotel just up the road.

Mr Manning said insurance assessors visited their home on Wednesday, the day after the heavy rain subsided, and had written off the furniture, whiteware, four cars and tools including chainsaws and a ride-on lawnmower.

Their insurance company had already paid out for the contents and the four cars, one of which belonged to Mr Manning's father.

The Mannings, in their early 60s, had since bought a car to allow Mrs Manning to continue working in Havelock. Mr Manning was using a bicycle to travel from the motel to the house to continue the cleanup.

He expected the house to be condemned, although an official decision had not been made by the insurance company.

"We've lost all the equity altogether. We would have a piece of land that may or may not sell and it would be foolish to spend a lot of money to rebuild anything," he said.

"What worries me is unless we get some property protection there will be no point in rebuilding."

He was not sure what measures would be needed to protect Wakamarina Rd and the surrounding area from another flood.

If the couple rebuilt on the same land the house would not be insured.

He had spent the last few days salvaging what he could from their home and putting the remains in a shipping container which Civil Defence offered to him, but he needed to pay for. He would also attempt to fix some of the items which the insurance assessor had written off, including his ride-on mower and chainsaws.

A week after the flood Mr Manning still did not know the full extent of the damage because he had not been inside another shed on the property or the garage and workshop which housed his vintage radio collection. The Marlborough District Council provided free skips for residents and Mr Manning had filled four and was expecting to fill at least one more with destroyed possessions.

"We've lost a lot of stuff we'll never see again. We just had to throw it all in the skip," he said.

Mr Manning spoke to his parents, aged 82 and 84 and who were put on to chairs on the kitchen bench to get away from rising floodwaters on Monday night and said they were still slightly traumatised by the experience.

The Mannings, who are determined to stay in the Wakamarina Valley, would eventually rent in Havelock before deciding whether they could afford to buy another house.

SIMON WONG - The Marlborough Express

Last updated 12:00 05/01/2011

SIMON WONG/The Marlborough Express

RUINED: Canvastown resident Alan Manning outside the shed that houses his vintage radio collection and other treasured possessions. He says they were unsalvagable after heavy rains flooded the Wakamarina Valley early last week.