The funding, confirmed by the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment through its Regional Infrastructure Fund, will cover around 60% of the $7.8m total cost.
The balance of $3.1m will be funded by the council.
Four projects within the Lower Clutha Flood Protection and Drainage Scheme will receive the bulk of the investment, addressing damage caused by recent severe weather events and upgrading key defences that protect rural communities, farmland, and infrastructure across South Otago.
Council chief executive Richard Saunders said the funding would allow for the acceleration of essential flood and drainage improvements across Otago.
"Numerous flood and high river events spanning from 2017 through October 2024 have taken their toll on the council’s flood infrastructure assets, which could threaten hundreds of properties, businesses, stock, roads, Dunedin’s airport and thousands of hectares of productive land," he said.
Two further projects in the Lower Taieri Flood Protection Scheme near Mosgiel will receive $2.5m for upgrades to gate structures, culverts and stream capacity.
The six Otago projects form part of a wider $96m national funding package announced by Regional Development Minister Shane Jones last week, of which 22 projects are based in the South Island.
The council’s flood protection network safeguards around 43,000ha of rural and urban land across Otago, supported by more than 200km of floodbanks and extensive drainage infrastructure.
Flood projects funded:
- $2million for Puerua River outfall structure upgrades, replacing large outfall culverts damaged in the October 2024 floods.
- $1.6m for Riverbank Rd flood risk mitigation, upgrading and realigning existing stopbanks.
- $1m for Puerua flood protection strengthening, involving geotechnical investigations and stopbank repairs.
- $700,000 for Kaitangata floodbank reconstruction, repairing floodbanks damaged by successive floods in 2022 and 2024.
These works protect 180ha of residential land, more than 480 homes, 9500ha of pastoral land, 120km of roading, and two state highway bridges, with the value of assets protected estimated at $1.7billion.
