Waihi Dam Update

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council is hopeful the discharge of sediment from the Waihi Dam into the Waiau River will cease by the end of next week.

HBRC staff met with Eastland Group staff and contractors yesterday to discuss a forward plan to resolve the issues with the dam, which has been discharging silt into the Waiau River since before Christmas after a sluice gate was damaged in a storm late last year. HBRC issued an abatement notice on Christmas Eve and reissued it on the 6th of January requiring the gate to be closed, but the damage to the gate is preventing it being fully closed.

HBRC Group Manager Resource Management Iain Maxwell says Eastland Group has indicated it will have its plan to solve the issue to council by tomorrow. He says HBRC has engaged specialist dam engineering company, DamWatch to provide advice on the options Eastland Group is proposing.

He says in the interim Eastland Group has created a structure below the dam to trap as much sediment as it can before it hits the Waiau River.

He says Eastland Group’s plans are expected to focus on the immediate priority of closing the open sluice gate, and he’s hopeful this will be done by the end of next week.

“I am very pleased the Eastland Group is acting with real urgency on this issue and aim to have the damaged sluice gate closed as soon as practicable,” says Mr Maxwell.

ENDS

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