Government’s $12.5m co-investment in flood management projects reduces cost to ratepayers

The Government has confirmed funding of $12.5 million from its Regional Infrastructure Fund to accelerate six flood management infrastructure projects in the Waikato region.

As part of the Budget 2024, the Government dedicated $101.1 million for flood resilience infrastructure as co-investment with regional and unitary councils to 42 flood resilience projects that were close to getting started. The council will get:

1. $5.22m towards upgrading a lower Waikato scheme stopbank in Tuakau (Waikato district): raising the height of the stopbanks to accommodate climate change.
2. $1.68m towards upgrading the Island Block pump station (Waikato district): replacement of an old pump with a new one with increased pump capacity and that enables safe downstream fish passage.
3. $3.06m towards upgrading the Kirikiri Stream stopbank (Hauraki district): raising the height of subsided stopbanks back to the level of service for the Waihou Scheme.
4. $1.08m towards Thames Valley diversion channel planting upgrades (Hauraki district): fencing, drain shaping, and planting of smaller drainage channels to reduce maintenance requirements and enhance instream and riparian ecological values.
5. $324,000 towards upgrading the Mangatāwhiri pump station (Waikato district): replacing dual inlet and enabling access to the pump for maintenance.
6. $1.2m towards upgrading a floodgate in the Mangawara catchment (Waikato district).

The six Waikato projects will cost an estimated total of $21 million.

The council is currently working on design and procurement to enable these projects to start in this financial year.

Waikato Regional Council Chair Pamela Storey said the council was part of Te Uru Kahika – Regional and Unitary Councils Aotearoa, which had submitted a business case (Before the Deluge) of 80 ready-to-go flood protection projects to government ministers for co-investment to improve community resilience against extreme weather events.

“These projects form a critical part of our planned regular renewal and maintenance programme, and it is a great outcome for the community to be receiving this from the Regional Infrastructure Fund to reduce the cost to ratepayers and improve the affordability of the council’s responsibility for flood protection,” said Chair Storey.

“We currently we have more than 100 maintenance and capital projects underway or planned, so it’s fantastic to see the Government partnering with us to deliver some of these essential services that protect our communities and significant Crown assets, such as state highways and the main trunk railway, from flood events.

“You only have to look at the extreme wet weather events of last year, cyclones Hale and Gabrielle and over Auckland anniversary, to see how important good infrastructure is for the resilience of our communities.”

Flood protection in the Waikato region

• The replacement value of extensive flood protection infrastructure is $1.1 billion.
• 300,000 hectares of land is protected by our flood protection infrastructure.
• Our regional economy is boosted by $2.2 billion due to being able to use this land productively.
• Several key “golden triangle” transport corridors are more resilient because of our flood protection infrastructure, including State Highway 1, SH2, SH25, SH26, SH27 and the main trunk railway.
• The council estimates it will cost $2.9 billion over the next 50 years to operate, maintain and renew our flood protection infrastructure.