Flood resilience projects completed at pace

Wairarapa flood resilience has been shored up with the completion of five projects funded by the Regional Infrastructure Fund, with more on the way, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says.

"These five projects, supported by Greater Wellington Regional Council, were among 42 priority flood resilience projects across 11 regions announced last year and approved for a total of $101.1 million in funding through the Regional Infrastructure Fund (RIF).

Greater Wellington Regional Council was approved for funding up to $16.1m across Kāpiti and Wairarapa.

"The completed Wairarapa projects are an upgrade of Pukio East Stopbank, protection upgrades at two sites on Waipoua River, and Stages 2 and 3 of the River Road Flood Protection Upgrade on Ruamāhanga River.

Mr Jones today attended an event hosted by Greater Wellington Regional Council at Fullers Bend on Waiōhine River to mark the completion of the five projects and to view progress of another 11 flood protection projects underway.

"I announced the first tranche of projects about this time last year. We wanted projects that would be ready to start as soon as they got the green light - what we have here is delivery on our promises," Mr Jones says.

"Doing this work now protects local communities, provides local jobs, and builds a sense of security and confidence. It underpins a broader willingness to invest in our local economies

"It also protects Crown assets such as roads, railways, hospitals and schools. It also saves the costs of deploying government emergency services in clean-up operations and eases the demand on other social services.

Minister Jones also today held a joint regional growth summit for Kāpiti and Wairarapa in Carterton today where he engaged with stakeholders on economic growth, regional priorities, prosperity and resilience.

"Today's summit was a great chance to discuss further growth opportunities for both of these regions and I look forward to seeing RIF applications through this engagement," Mr Jones says.

GWRC Projects

To support councils to deliver essential works at pace, the RIF invested as grants to 42 flood resilience projects across 12 councils.

Flood resilience projects in Kāpiti benefitting from RIF investment are:

• Otaki Cliffs River Bank Protection: $2.50 million.

Flood resilience projects in the Wairarapa benefitting from RIF investment are:

• River Rd Masterton Flood Protection Upgrade - Stage 2: $1.48 million (completed)
• River Rd Masterton Flood Protection Upgrade - Stage 3 Remaining Groynes: $2.11 million (completed)
• Waipoua SH2 Left Bank Protection Upgrade: $80,000 (completed)
• Waipoua Industrial Site - Akura Road Edge Protection Programme: $880,000 (completed)
• Fullers Bend Protection: $1.39 million
• Awaroa Floodway Spillover Sill: $530,000
• Tawaha Floodway Spillover Sill: $1.02 million
• Pukio East Stopbank Upgrade, South Wairarapa: $540,000 (completed)
• Flood Gates - Fish Passage Upgrades, South Wairarapa: $220,000
• Masterton Water Supply Protection Project: $570,000
• Hood Aerodrome Masterton Waingawa River Flood Protection: $950,000
• South Masterton Stopbank Upgrade: $520,000
• Homebush Wastewater Treatment Plant Resilience Works: $270,000
• Upper Ruamāhanga Buffer Establishment: $2.16 million
• Whakawhiriwhiri Stream - Project Rescope: $860,000