Work has begun on providing future flood protection to two localities hard-hit by Cyclone Gabrielle.
Waiohiki
Enabling works to build a new one-kilometre stopbank along the Tūtaekurī River to help protect the Waiohiki community. Flooding from the river and sediment inundating and damaging homes and parts of the Waiohiki Marae. Forty-five properties were subsequently categorised as 2C as part of Central Government’s land categorisation process.
The development of the planned stopbank, which will run from Redclyffe Bridge to the Napier Golf Course, will provide protection for a 1-in-100-year flood event (at post-Cyclone Gabrielle levels), and enabling properties to be recategorised to Category 1.
HBRC Chair Hinewai Ormsby commented: “Without the enormous collective effort of our community, Ngāti Paarau Hapū and Waiohiki Marae resilience staff, local landowners, experts, Ngāi Tahuahi and Regional Council staff and contractors, we wouldn’t have got this project off the ground so swiftly. We are extremely proud and humbled by how we all have worked together.”
The Waiohiki project is one of six flood resilience projects being delivered by the Regional Council, part-funded through Central Government’s North Island Weather Events (NIWE) funding.
Enabling works for the project include building a new road under the Redclyffe Bridge and a stockpile/storage area nearby for the limestone and material that will be used to build the stopbank and supporting infrastructure.
As well as a stopbank, the Waiohiki flood mitigation project will involve realigning the Upokohino Stream into ephemeral wetlands and removing vegetation by the Redclyffe Bridge.
Pōrangahau
Category 2A properties in Pōrangahau have been re-categorised to Category 2C, a significant step forward for the Central Hawke’s Bay town. The category change comes from identifying a viable design option for a community-level flood resilience scheme.
The proposed design sees stopbanks and flood walls along the northern bank of the river (township side), and the raising or relocating 2C dwellings on the southern side of the river, including Rongomaraeroa Marae and the Kaumatua Flats.
The design aims to reduce the risk of flood impacts up to a 1-in-100-year likelihood at post-Cyclone Gabrielle levels. It also includes an additional stopbank behind Kaiwhitikitiki Urupā to alleviate possible damage to the site in a flood event.
This scheme is also part of the Central Government’s North Island Weather Events (NIWE) funding.
Regional Council Councillor Thompson Hokianga says: “It’s great to see Pōrangahau reach this milestone. They can begin to plan for the future of their whenua and whānau knowing that with the proposed scheme, generations to come will be better prepared for flood events. He tīmatanga noa iho tenei, engari, ko te pae tawhiti whāia kia tata, ko te pae tata whakamaua kia tīna.”
