Better-prepared for a wet winter
Hundreds of metres of the Awanui River’s banks, including stopbanks, near Awanui’s Gill and West roads have been improved to offer better flood protection over winter, as part of $350,000 worth of the Northland Regional Council’s annual flood scheme maintenance programme.
Cr Monty Knight (Te Hiku) said the work, which had been done over several months, had seen stopbanks improved, banks reshaped and corners straightened to prevent erosion, scouring and flooding.
“These measures will enable more floodwater to pass more quickly through the Awanui River system, and in doing so help reduce the flood risk,” he said.
The work was great news for Awanui, he added, as it would improve the town’s “flood resilience,” although it was part of the long-term flood prevention plan for the whole Awanui catchment, including Kaitaia.
He described that area as lucky to have the Awanui River Liaison Committee, which had a strong leader and advocate in fellow regional councillor Joe Carr, as well as committed, passionate members.
“This liaison group is arguably one of the most successful in Northland, because despite a very diverse and reasonably large membership, its members work collectively very well to address local flood management issues,” Cr Knight said.
More work was planned once the weather improved during spring and summer, including a $700,000 project to modify the Whangatane spillway entrance, further reducing the flood risk for parts of Kaitaia and helping floodwater drain more quickly from Lake Tangonge.
That was important, he said, because the longer paddocks sat under water the greater the risk that pasture would die. Aside from the obvious cost to farmers, that also adversely affected water quality as vegetation rotted.
Work had also been done on the Tarawhataroa Stream through Kaitaia, from Switzer Residential Care to the Pukepoto Road bridge, including ‘grade control works’ to stabilise the stream bed.