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Flooding in Queenstown in 1999 - Source: ONE News -
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Monday marked the day 10 years ago that Queenstown endured the worst flood in its history.
Lake Wakatipu burst its banks on November 17, 1999, flooding several businesses and causing around $60 million worth of damage.
The town was inundated with water for around two weeks.
However, businesses in Queenstown learnt a lesson all those years ago, and have taken measures to ensure the survival of the local economy should it happen again.
"I'd like to think that we were much better prepared than we were in '99," says emergency management officer Brenden Winder.
Pharmacies have been equipped with movable shelves and the inside of a local pub can be removed like a kitset.
New buildings now have to take flood measures, but the town has generally accepted that as a lakeside resort built on the flood plain, it is a price that must be paid.
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