The man tasked with stopping Wairoa from flooding says a groyne could have prevented the latest damage from the town’s notorious river. Crown Manager Lawrence Yule says a training groyne near Pilot Hill at the rivermouth could have helped prevent the latest flooding in the Northern Hawke’s Bay township.
Around 14 properties were yellow-stickered following the third flood in the township in four years after the river burst its banks late last Thursday night.
It follows severe flooding from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 that overwhelmed the North Clyde area of town, and a storm in June 2024 that flooded much of the lower part of the town.
Yule who was appointed as Crown Manager in August 2024 to oversee the flood protection work of the Hawke’s Bay regional and Wairoa district councils, said the river was “difficult and dynamic”. “The latest floods are just dreadful and depressing for those affected, especially people who are just recovering from the June 2024 floods.”
He said this had motivated him further to do all he could to source funding for a groyne.
A seabed survey near Pilot Hill at the river mouth has already been carried out as part of an investigation into the merits of a training groyne – a structure built out from the shore to help direct and stabilise the flow of a river as it meets the sea.
However, no funding has been allocated for it at this stage, with the majority of the Crown’s $70 million contribution to flood mitigation for Wairoa allocated to a floodway in North Clyde.
At a community hui in the Wairoa War Memorial Hall, a discussion was held around the possibility, alongside the North Clyde floodway, which is approved and awaiting construction.
Yule said that for many Wairoa residents, the river mouth mattered just as much as the floodway upstream. “People have told us clearly that the awa needs to be looked at holistically, not in parts, and that whole-of-catchment approach continues to guide this much-needed flood resilience project,” Yule said.
Yule said while the spillway would protect the upper part of the town, a groyne would help protect the lower part. “It would help keep the bar open north of Pilot Hill, preventing the water from flowing into the river.”
An initial concept report for the training groyne was produced in August 2025 and independently peer reviewed. Engineering and geotechnical investigations are underway alongside a seabed survey and cultural engagement with hapū and whānau connected to the lower awa.
Yule said the team didn’t know yet if a groyne was viable – physically, ecologically, culturally, or financially. “That’s exactly why this investigation matters, and why we’re being upfront with the community about what we know and don’t know at every step.”
Any structural solution at the river mouth would represent a significant investment, with no construction funding currently confirmed. “Early indications are that most, if not all, of the Crown’s $70 million contribution to flood mitigation for Wairoa will be allocated to the North Clyde floodway,” Yule said.
“That means a groyne remains unfunded at this stage and hasn’t yet been approved by Hawke’s Bay Regional Council. We’ll be honest about that funding picture at every stage, and no significant decisions will be made without meaningful engagement with the community and mana whenua.”
He said the Government was aware of the investigation into the groyne and was “open to discussions around funding”. If there is any funding left from the spillway, it will go toward that, subject to the Government’s approval.”
Mayor Craig Little said a long-term solution for the Wairoa River mouth needed to be completed to make the community feel safe.
He said the community remained hopeful that the government would make funding available for a groyne.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
