Source: Environment Canterbury Regional Council
In recent months, staff have completed a major programme of work to help restore the region’s resilience to flooding after the 2021 flood event.
The project focused on more than 400 repair jobs across Central and South Canterbury. This included:
- rebuilding more than 5km of stopbanks
- undertaking erosion and scour protection
- planting more than 60,000 native and exotic trees.
In many cases, we were able to replant existing trees that had washed out but were still alive after the flood.
This mahi wouldn’t be possible without the support of our communities – hundreds of landowners and dozens of contractors – who tirelessly worked alongside us for the past three years.
The total cost of flood recovery work came down to $22.6 million and we thank the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) for helping co-fund about $8.3 million of this through a one-off emergency fund.
Kānoa funding
We were also successful in gaining some funding in the Government’s budget from ‘Kānoa – Regional Development and Commercial Services’ for tranche 1 of flood resilience projects.
The projects in Waitaha that will benefit are the Rangitata Flood and Resilience Works – Stage 2, Regional Structure Upgrade and Adaptation Programme – and Waitarakao/Washdyke/Seadown Works.
Kānoa is co-funding up to 60 per cent of these projects through the Regional Infrastructure Fund (RIF). Environment Canterbury is funding the rest through rate collection.
District-wide rate for the Waikirikiri/Selwyn River
Finally, as part of the LTP, we implemented the district-wide rate for the Waikirikiri/Selwyn River. This is a dedicated separate rate charged to Selwyn district ratepayers for flood protection work including the clearing out of channels and flow paths, weed control, and berm strengthening.
This is in addition to the six dedicated river and drainage rating districts that exist on the periphery of this work area. We are committed to working with the local community and Selwyn District Council to understand key pressure points and improve flood resilience of the whole catchment.
