On Saturday, 10 May, Toi Moana Bay of Plenty Regional Council, Ngāti Awa representatives and Associate Regional Development Minister, Hon. Mark Patterson gathered with local community members to officially open the Rangitāiki Floodway and Spillway.

The event marked the completion of the $50m project, which has been engineered to take pressure off the flood prone Rangitāiki River by diverting some of its flow into the floodway during significant weather events.

Over the lifecycle of construction, Central Government funded nearly $14m through the Department of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.

Regional Council Chair Doug Leeder acknowledged the collaborative effort to reach this milestone.

“This project would not have happened without the combined effort of the community, Ngāti Awa, the Regional Council, Whakatāne and Kawerau District Councils, and Central Government.

“These contributions are tangible recognition of the importance of regional New Zealand and, more specifically, the role the Eastern Bay of Plenty plays in the social and economic fabric of the wider region and the country.

“It also demonstrates the importance of listening to and working with ratepayers to develop and fund key infrastructure, particularly in an environment where the impact of climate change is increasingly ‘front and centre’ in decisions underpinning long term community resilience.”

Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson said the project significantly strengthened the region’s infrastructure.

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“This is one of the biggest flood resilience efforts completed in New Zealand in recent years. It will deliver vital protection for local communities and unlock economic potential across the Eastern Bay of Plenty.”

Regional Council Engineering Manager Mark Townsend says he is proud to see this project completed and thanks the teams involved for their mahi.

“Flood protection, such as the Spillway, is the first line of defence in a flood event. This is why the Regional Council continually invests in the management and maintenance of flood protection assets around the rohe.”

Mr Townsend says the key to doing this is an integrated approach by Regional Council’s engineering, assets and operations teams, as well as implementing best practise approaches and exploring innovation when it comes to engineering designs.

“The Spillway upgrade is a great example of what happens when you mix robust data and modelling with innovative engineering and community input. The design choices we have made will help ensure longevity of these assets.”

Now complete, the Rangitāiki Floodway and Spillway assets form part of a network of flood defences along the Rangitāiki River. This includes the recent upgrades to Rangitāiki River Floodwalls and Lower Rangitāiki Stopbanks at the river mouth near Thornton.

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