Flood defences are set for a major boost, with $21.5 million in government co-funding to fast-track nine priority river protection projects.
This includes $6.6m for speeding up flood resilience works in Mid and South Canterbury.
Rangitata MP James Meager said the funding would support flood protection works in Geraldine, Temuka, Pleasant Point, Levels Plains, Tinwald, Lake Hood, Rangitata, Staveley and Ashburton.
The investment would include new stopbanks and other protective infrastructure, creating local jobs and supporting economic growth.
Environment Canterbury (ECan) chief executive Dr Stefanie Rixecker thanked the government for its "staunch commitment to this important work", with a total of $21.5m of government co-funding to accelerate the region’s flood resilience efforts.
The funding would complement the council’s own investment in flood resilience projects approved through the 30-year infrastructure strategy, allowing nine priority projects to be accelerated.
Those projects included critical stopbank and floodgate upgrades, rock work, gravel extraction, vegetation clearance, berm strengthening and telemetry upgrades to rivers across the region, she said.
Third-term ECan councillor for Mid Canterbury/Ōpākihi Ian Mackenzie said the investment would help upgrade flood infrastructure to handle one-in-200-year flood events.
ECan had worked with communities across the region to identify priority areas, costs and timelines, which were built into the 30-year river resilience programme.
The additional government funding provided "much-needed capital which will enable us and our communities to get on with the work".
"We know that spending $10 on river management can save $100 of flood damage, not only to private assets, but more importantly to public assets such as roads, bridges and communications."
Ashburton mayor-elect Liz McMillan said it was great to see central government investing in flood protection.
"Cleaning up and making repairs after a flood takes a big toll on people’s finances and wellbeing, so this resilience funding is most welcome."
The nine ECan projects to benefit from the funding are: flood warning infrastructure upgrades, structure upgrades/adaptation programme, flood resilience infrastructure upgrades at Ashburton/Hakatere, Kaikōura, Ashley/Rakahuri, Waimakariri, Orari, Opihi and Pareora.
— LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
By Jonathan Leask
