Upgrading the Waipaoa stopbanks to cater for a 100-year rain event allowing for climate change effects out to 2090.

Project status

March 2018 - The resource consent hearing has been adjourned until June 2018. This was due to additional river modelling refinements required to be carried out by the Hawkes Bay Regional Council. As a result of the delay and the required approvals, construction of Stage 1 of the stopbank improvement work will not start until the 2018/19 construction season.

For the land acquisitions required for the project, 7 properties have been purchased since June 2017 totalling $1,387,950. 6 more are currently under contract and awaiting settlement (totalling $184k), with 3 still to be purchased. The remaining property acquisitions are expected to be completed by July 2018. The total land purchase cost estimate is forecast to be under $1.8m.
The Waipaoa riverbank rock protection works (near the Waipaoa River mouth) has been successfully completed, on time and under budget. The work involved the installation of
rock and compacted material in order to improve the level of erosion protection to the stopbank.

June 2018: Resource consent hearing 
December 2018 - April 2019: Construction on first section of eastern stopbank (approx between Ford and Bolitho roads)
Summer 2019/20: Construction continues from Waipaoa River mouth working upstream along the eastern stopbank (5-8km per summer ongoing)
2030: Project completed and scheme fully operational  
Total budget - $16 million over 15 years