Media Release
16 March 2016

Waihi Dam Update

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council says they’ve been advised by Eastland Group that it intends to have the sluice gates on the Waihi Dam closed by the end of this week.

The Eastland Group dam 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 January 6th 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 visited the site last Friday and noted a significant volume of sediment has been removed from above the dam and that all three sluice gates are now free of sediment and in the process of being repaired.

He says HBRC is pleased with the significant progress Eastland Group has made to resolving the issues at the dam and closing the gates will end the sediment discharge.

Mr Maxwell says while visiting the dam he also saw that a significant volume of sediment is being captured and removed from the gabion basket structure at the confluence of the Waihi and Waiau rivers.

“This work is in effect preventing this sediment entering the Waiau River,” says Mr Maxwell.

Meanwhile Iain Maxwell says a thorough investigation continues into how the situation occurred and what effect it is having on the community and the environment. A decision on whether any party will be prosecuted will be made once all the facts are known and the investigation is completed.

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