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Final stage of Mid Canterbury stopbanking consents lodged

Environment Canterbury engineers and hazards planners will this Friday lodge applications for consents to build stopbanks on the South Ashburton River at Valetta.

“This work will complete a major stopbanking and flood protection works programme designed to provide 200-year protection for the urban areas of Ashburton and Tinwald,” said ECan Rakaia councillor Angus McKay, who also chaired the ECan hazards portfolio during the 2004-07 term.

“This last stopbank will protect people and property on the South Ashburton flood plain from Lake Hood to Valetta.

“If all goes to plan, this last segment of work - which covers 6.5 kilometres, not all of which is continuous stopbank - will be completed during the 2008/09 spring and summer season,” Cr McKay said.

Once the consent applications are lodged with Ashburton District Council and  Environment Canterbury, council consents staff will decide on their notification status and provide a timetable for input if public notification is the course taken.

“This will complete a massive package of works started three years ago, with the majority already completed for the Ashburton River’s main stem and North Branch,” Cr McKay said.

Funding arrangements through the special rating district targeted rate are already in place for the work, which will cost around $500,000. The construction is likely to cover two seasons - starting this summer at the earliest.

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