Flood resilience in Māngere: 2025 highlights and what’s next

2025 marked a major milestone for the Māngere community as two critical flood resilience projects - at Harania Creek and Te Ararata Creek - moved from planning into construction. Both projects are part of Auckland Council's Making Space for Water programme,delivered by the Healthy Waters and Flood Resilience department.Once complete they will significantly reduce flood risk for hundreds of homes and make the stormwater network more resilient to future storms.

Key achievements

Both projects officially broke ground in April with a site blessing led by Te Ākitai Waiohua and supported by Ngāti Tamaoho and Te Ahiwaru. Since then, the teams have focused on getting each site ready for major works next year.

Harania Creek

• Built an accessway and temporary work platforms to bring big machinery on site.
• Re-homed 285 copper skinks and local fish species - bully, īnanga and mullet - ensuring local wildlife and fish species stay safe.
• Completed piling work to set up strong working platforms along the embankment.
• Installed containment chambers at both ends of the current wastewater pipe. These will support the new footbridge over the stream.
• Constructed two 7x7 metre diversion chambers within the retaining walls to allow the sewer to keep flowing when we switch to the new wastewater pipe.

Te Ararata Creek

• Built a temporary pedestrian bridge over Te Ararata Creek.
• Built and installed a pipe bridge around the water supply pipe.
• Relocated services like power, gas and communications cables onto the new bridges.
• Diverted the stream through a temporary pipe to allow works to be undertaken in the stream bed.
• Installed a new watermain to allow the bridge culvert demolition.

Community engagement was a real highlight for both projects. We hosted information sessions to share updates, organised site visits so residents could see progress firsthand, and held a community BBQ to connect with neighbours. Local schools were involved too, with students joining workshops and learning about flood resilience and environmental protection.

What's coming in 2026

Harania Creek:

• Bringing a 600-tonne crane on site - the largest in Aotearoa!
• Cutting out the current wastewater pipe and installing a new 36-metre circular steel pipe.
• Placing the new footbridge across the stream.
• Removing the embankment to complete the transformation and increase the stormwater capacity of the creek.
• More activities with local schools and another community BBQ or two.

Te Ararata Creek:

• Digging out both sides of the existing bridge to increase stormwater flow.
• Building concrete supports and retaining walls to hold new bridge.
• Demolishing the culvert under Walmsley Road.
• Installing the new 22m-long bridge deck and re-opening Walmsley Road to vehicles.
• Installing a debris rack to catch large rubbish from blocking the creek.
• Construct a permanent maintenance platform and accessway to the Mahunga Drive culverts

Looking ahead

Next year will be a transformative year for Māngere. These projects will not only reduce flood risk but also create safer, greener spaces for the community. We'll continue to keep the community informed and involved every step of the way.