Ashhurst Domain to be protected
Ashhurst Domain will soon be protected from further erosion, but even after the rock groynes are built, there will be no more swimming in the Manawatu¯ River there again.
Horizons Regional Council has let contracts for a supply of rocks and their placement in a $1 million-plus project, and work on construction is expected to start this month.
The repairs were needed after thousands of trees and a huge chunk of domain land was swept away in floods in April 2017.
Temporary works were put in place last winter, with a shingle bank formed to help divert the river into a channel away from the damaged bank.
Horizons group manager for river management Ramon Strong said the contract for the permanent strengthening had been let to Goodman Contractors.
Strong said once the works were completed, the area would look quite different to what people remembered, and would not be a suitable place for swimming.
The bank would be contoured and riparian planting would be undertaken over winter.
The city council and NZ Transport Agency have budgeted up to $500,000 each for the project, with Horizons contributing $300,000.
Strong said the project was on track to be completed under that $1.3m budget.
Construction is expected to take about 12 weeks.