Progress made on Lower Clutha flood repairs

PROGRESS has been made on repairing the damage caused by floods in Lower Clutha earlier this year.

Otago Regional Council engineering manager Michelle Mifflin said the most visible repairs were to the Waitepeka Floodbank on the Owaka Highway, outside Balclutha.

Work started last week to prevent the floodbank from collapsing after it was overtopped during the February floods.

‘‘These works are the result of a thorough investigation, design and an opentender process, and we’re excited to get this major repair work under way,” she said.

Work at the Waitepeka Floodbank was being undertaken by SouthRoads and its subcontractor, Linton Contracting.

Flood damage occurred at 35 sites across Otago earlier this year; of those, 27 were in the Lower Clutha Flood Protection and Drainage Scheme.

Repairs had been completed at 12 sites, 23 were under way and seven were yet to start.

Work at three sites was put on hold for further damage monitoring and later repair needed, Ms Mifflin said.

Repairs to some flooddamaged sites along Riverbank Rd on the Inch Clutha would start in November.

The Lower Clutha Flood Protection and Drainage Scheme provides defence to about 9,300ha, including productive farmland in the Lower Clutha delta area and the towns of Balclutha, Stirling and Kaitangata.

It was expected that repairs to the majority of the flooddamaged sites would be completed by June 2021, she said.

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