A Dunedin inventor has created a product he thinks could soon eliminate the use of sandbags, a gate to seal doors.
After witnessing several episodes of flooding in areas like South Dunedin and Mosgiel, inventor Larry Burns thought there must be an easier way to prevent flooding.
"I just thought no, there's got to be a better system than this," Mr Burns says.
Sandbags cost local councils thousands of dollars and resources every year, not to mention the need to pre-plan for a flood by weather reports.
Mr Burn's design, one he admits is about 90 per cent complete, could mean those in low-lying areas, will no longer require sandbags.
It's a step gate which locks on to the door of a building, seals off any small gaps with rubber seals and keeps out water.
The Dunedin City Council is just one of several interested parties.
"It's a great product, one that could help a lot of people across the world that have flooding problems," the council's Business Relationship Manager Des Adamson says.
The council will keep in close contact with Mr Burns and his Dunedin based team, with possible solutions ranging from the council purchasing a large chunk of the gates, to selling them individually to households in low-lying areas.
When asked how quickly he could assemble one of his creations if demand picks up, he replied "in about half an hour".
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