Govt funding to upgrade Far North bridge that causes flooding

The Quarry Rd Bridge, off SH1, leading to Kaitāia Airport, will have an upgrade to remove a flooding ‘pinch point’ that threatens Kaitāia and Awanui.

Government funding to remove a flood ‘pinch point’ near Kaitāia should help prevent the town and nearby Awanui from flooding in extreme weather events, Northland regional councillor Joe Carr says.

The Northland Regional Council has received $660,000 of central government funding for the work between the two Far North towns.

Regional Development Minister Shane Jones recently announced the Government will contribute $101.1 million from the Regional Infrastructure Fund to 42 consented priority flood resilience projects to protect valuable land and assets in 11 regions during severe weather.

Carr, who represents the council’s Far North constituency, said the money includes $660,000 - matched by another $440,000 from the council - for a two-phase upgrade of the Quarry Road bridge along the Whangatane Spillway near Kaitāia.

The councillor, who also chairs the Awanui Flood Management Committee, says the bridge - off State Highway 1 and on the way to Kaitāia Airport - was highlighted as a flooding ‘pinch point’ during a storm in August 2020.

The first $500,000 phase of the work will allow for earthworks underneath a proposed 15m extension of the bridge - which will effectively open an additional span - and support the wider Awanui River Flood Protection Scheme. The $600,000 second phase will involve construction of the bridge extension itself and associated works.

Carr said rivers staff have already largely completed detailed designs and are now almost ready to move forward with the procurement process for the bridge over the Pairatahi River.

“Our goal is to ensure all necessary materials and contractors are secured promptly so that we can begin the works at the start of the 2024/25 summer season. This timing will allow us to take full advantage of the favourable conditions early in the new year, 2025,“ he said.

“The additional capacity created by the Quarry Rd works will further add to the significant improvements the Awanui Scheme already offers in terms of reducing the risk of flooding to adjacent properties and the township of Awanui.“

Carr said the work was part of a wider project on the spillway and when completed should reduce the risk of flooding in both Kaitāia and Awanui.

“The funding is awesome and we’re very pleased to get it. It will help protect both towns. Awanui is particularly at high risk of flooding [from the pinch point] and this will help reduce that risk greatly.“

He said as part of the Whangatane Spillway there were flow paths made south of Kaitāia to divert flooding away from the town, but these have not been connected up as the bridge work has not been done yet.

Carr said it was a long, careful process, but the flow paths should be able to be connected to the spillway once the bridge is finished.

“And that will reduce the risk of flooding even more.“