A St Albans resident is calling for urgent drainage work at Rutland Reserve, saying it currently looks like a “bloody disaster.”

David Brown first contacted the Papanui-Innes Community Board about the reserve in February. However, little has been done to address its flooding issue since.

“The high water level is flooding onto the adjoining reserve land, causing a large area to become a swamp,” he said.

Mr Brown was told by the community board in February it would ensure city council staff meet or get in touch with him about the issue.

“To the best of my knowledge, no such invitation has been issued to me and I suspect the drainage personnel are none the wiser about the condition of the reserve,” he said in a recent letter to the community board.

Mr Brown, who has lived in Rutland St for 14 years, believes the water level is high enough in some places that someone could drown if they fell in.

He said the resolution is simple. “Clean the existing drain that council staff and I dug out by hand (two years ago), lower the water level and restore the reserve so that everyone can use it.”

The community board requested an update on the work being done or planned for the reserve. It hoped to get an urgent response to Mr Brown.

“It needs to be returned to its former glory as a reserve where people can fly kites, kick a ball around, play cricket and do what they want to do on it as they once did,” said Mr Brown.

“At the moment the only people that are enjoying it is the pukekos and ducks.”

City council manager community parks Al Hardy said it was aware of the flooding issue in the reserve.

He said it will continue to carry out riparian planting to moderate the water flow.