A Wairoa business and a land owner are taking the Hawke's Bay Regional Council to court - seeking compensation for June's flooding. The statement of claim, filed yesterday, says 500 properties were flooded in Wairoa after the Council failed to take timely action to open the river mouth. The claim says that flooding damaged property, plants, machinery, homes, and belongings; reducing the value of land and businesses; and inflicted stress, inconvenience, pain, and suffering; as well as causing losses of income, and increased expenses for repairs and temporary accommodation. The claimants' lawyer Grant Shand spoke to Corin Dann.