Source: Radio New Zealand
The lowered river mouth crest at the end of Kopu Road Supplied / Hawke’s Bay Regional Council
A new approach to quickly opening up the flood-prone Wairoa River to the sea has been put in place.
Locals blamed the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council for not opening a channel in the Wairoa river bar in a devastating flood in mid-2024. It caused $40m damage and flooded 400 properties.
The council said engineers had tapped local knowledge to come up with the new approach which was now in effect.
It would maintain a lower rivermouth “crest shaped like a funnel at the end of Kopu Road that enabled the mouth to be opened more quickly ahead of any heavy rain forecast.
It was introduced last month and maintenance was most recently done two weeks ago.
“By preparing early we can act faster when conditions change,” local regional councillor Di Roadley said in a statement.
“The new system also helps reduce flood risk for the community and ensure safer working conditions for our contractors.”
Wairoa-raised Māui ki Te Raki Councillor Michelle McIlroy said the approach combined the Kihitu whānau’s generational mātauranga about the rivermouth with the practical experience of Pryde Contracting and council experts.
“Together, these kete of knowledge are equally important to the safety, wellbeing, and resilience of Wairoa,” she said.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
