The Manawatū plains, near Feilding , flooded by the Oroua River in February, 2004. Photo / Mark Mitchell.
The Manawatū plains, near Feilding , flooded by the Oroua River in February, 2004. Photo / Mark Mitchell.
Horizons Regional Council will work with Manawatū and Horowhenua district councils to sort out flood issues with a shared budget of almost $38 million.
Horizons chair Rachel Keedwell said Feilding and Foxton residents and landowners have regularly suffered disruption and damage as a result of rain events.
“These events, sometimes happening multiple times within a year, can put significant pressure on flood management assets and stormwater networks. The downstream effects of this pressure can be significant for people affected.”
Keedwell said there was an overlap between regional and district council responsibilities, as Horizons manages flooding and the district councils manage stormwater networks.
“While we regularly work with district councils, boosting this collaborative effort for Feilding and Foxton will enhance alignment between our projects, ensuring the best results possible for our communities.”
Horizons Regional Council chairwoman Rachel Keedwell.
Horizons and Manawatū District Council have committed to upgrading infrastructure, with the two councils committing a combined $37.7 million in their latest Long-term Plans to complete flood resilience and stormwater upgrades.
“Both councils, along with iwi partners and a landowner representative, recently created a governance group to oversee and guide the combined work,” Keedwell said.
“Getting a clear understanding of current risks from flooding and stormwater, as well as further hydrological modelling, are the next steps for this project.
“There are other opportunities and pieces of work already identified and under way. Gravel extraction is also being planned for the Makino Stream.”
Manawatū District mayor Helen Worboys.
Manawatū District mayor Helen Worboys said the governance group approach is the right initiative to progress this work, given the crossover between stormwater and flood protection in Feilding.
“It enhances the partnership between us and Horizons, while also bringing members of the governance group closer so all parties involved can be heard.
“It’s clear there is a lot of work already happening between the two councils, but there is the potential through this arrangement to do even more.
“Manawatū District Council sees this work to protect Feilding as a priority, highlighted by our Long-term Plan commitment of more than $20m towards a stormwater upgrade programme.
“Having both councils collaborate on this work will ensure residents and landowners in the area get the best results possible from our combined efforts to provide protection and resilience.”
Governance group chair and Manawatū District deputy mayor Michael Ford said two of the governance group’s first recommendations include increasing flood protection for Feilding at Reid Line, and gravel extraction from the Makino Stream, particularly near the Duke St bridge.
“The group also addressed a number of specific aspects of the Reid Line Spillway project and provided recommendations.
“As well as protecting Feilding, the governance group is also pleased to be addressing the issue of protection at Te Arakura where Kauwhata Marae and other properties were recently flooded – an important area for our district.”
Feilding has a history of flooding and stormwater issues, highlighted by major flood events in 2004 and 2015, while four rain events in 2021-22 caused flooding that impacted residents and business.
“Flood protection in Feilding is currently variable, and there is a limit to how much water existing flood and stormwater assets can manage, with climate change and urban development over time increasing pressure on these assets.”
Keedwell said a governance group has also been established for the remaining work to be completed in Foxton as part of the Te Awahou Foxton Climate Resilience Project.
“The township regularly experiences flooding due to localised heavy rain events, including in 2004, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2015 and 2017. These floods caused disruption and damage, negatively impacting the lives of people living in the town.
“Rain events can cause damage and disruption, particularly road flooding as stormwater pipes get full.
“There are a range of drainage and flood protection assets in and around the town. However, there are limits to the current level of services provided by private, Horizons, and district council assets.”
A range of options have been explored to increase protection to Foxton, although the project had been hampered by Covid-19 lockdowns and Cyclone Gabrielle response.
“Despite these delays, Horizons remains committed to creating a long-term solution for the people of Foxton to minimise the impact of future rain events on the town,” she said.
The governance group for Foxton includes iwi, hapū, community representatives and councillors from Horizons and Horowhenua District Council.
Horowhenua District councillor and governance group co-chair Ross Brannigan said the governance group is working with and hearing from local groups, such as Save Our River Trust (SORT), to ensure solutions work for the community and local environment.
Horowhenua District councillor Ross Brannigan.
“While the Foxton township area is small compared to other parts of the district, it is a difficult catchment which reacts relatively quickly to rain events.
“The governance group approach is already delivering a fresh approach, creating new actions and ensuring we deliver tangible solutions for residents and landowners.
“The formation of the governance group comes at a time as the Foxton Futures project, which aims to improve the environment of Foxton and Foxton Beach. This project has heard a lot of feedback about future options for the Manawatū River loop, where a lot of water during flood events currently discharges too.
“Working with Horizons and other governance group members, Horowhenua District Council hopes to provide lasting and appropriate flood protection for Foxton and the surrounding environment into the future.”
