A group of south Auckland residents say they've become the forgotten victims of this month's flood.
Ten farms in Clevedon were destroyed when logs from forestry on a nearby hill swept down, wrecking fences and blocking waterways.
But no one's coming to help - or take responsibility.
Kathy and Dennis Marx were shocked by what they saw the morning after flood waters ravaged their property in the Ness Valley.
"When we came out the house first thing in the morning the devastation was just phenomenal - logs debris, fences," Ms Marx says.
But it wasn't just the water to blame for the destruction.
"We can normally handle a flood, we are prone to flooding here. We're prepared for it, we're not prepared for logs, they destroyed everything," Mr Marx says.
The Marx's waterway is totally dammed up by logs. Those logs have come all the way downstream from the forestry at the top of the hill.
Twelve days later the logs are still there.
"We feel like we've been forgotten, we call it Mess Valley now, we had a beautiful property, we love it here and I feel violated to tell you the truth," Ms Marx says.
The forestry company is offering no help to clean up the debris.
"Every householder, farmers - although it's a tragic event - should look to their own insurance, we would like to be able to help in some small way, but we don't see that we are responsible to pick up all out logs," says NZ Forestry Group managing director Wes Garratt.
NZ Forestry Group says its hands are tied.
"As part of the earthworks consent for harvesting we have to leave logs slash on the hillside to prevent erosion, silt running off, and we are monitored by the city council that we abide by those terms," Mr Garratt says.
The resource consent orders that leftover logs cannot be removed so as to stabilise the ground.
"I also feel on compassionate grounds and a little bit of empathy as well, there must be someone within the council who we pay rates to pay their wages really need to sort things quicker. It's now twelve - thirteen days since it happened and we're no quicker getting help," Ms Marx says.
Auckland Council says it's working closely with affected residents as well as protecting essential infrastructure.
The council's general manager resource consents, Ian Smallburn, said: "Auckland Council has been removing silt, soil and debris from the banks of the water courses in the area on private properties, to protect essential infrastructure such as bridges and roadways, prevent future flooding, and to prevent the material moving further if there is more rain.
"We continue to work very closely with affected residents.
"In general, logging offcuts that are not able to be milled are left on site to decompose as a standard practice. We are continuing to investigate the circumstances around the flooding at this site."
Newshub.
