Work began last Friday to widen sections of the river channel near the banks of the Mataura River at the Gore road and rail bridges.
A ground-breaking ceremony on the day was attended by Rural Communities Minister Mark Patterson and Environment Southland chairman Jeremy McPhail, who marked the occasion in a very Southland fashion — with cheese rolls in the rain.
The Mataura River Flood Resilience Project would increase flood protection for more than 7000 people in the Gore district, a statement from Environment Southland said.
The work was expected to take about four months, weather permitting, it said.
Gravel and sediment buildup has been a controversial topic within the region.
Farmers and catchment liaison committee members expressed frustration to the regional council late last year at a public meeting.
Now the work would be done thanks to $7.2 million from the Regional Infrastructure Fund, with Environment Southland contributing the rest, the statement said.
Mr McPhail said the co-funding agreement was hugely important.
‘‘It’s probably been many years overdue; [it’s] maybe 40 years since work has been done,’’ he said.
This initial work in Gore aimed to improve channel capacity.
The focus was on the tightest parts of the river system to improve flow and reduce how high and how long water levels sit upstream during a flood, reducing the pressure on flood infrastructure.
‘‘This project combines practical engineering improvements and careful planning across the catchment with the aim of reducing the threat of flooding for communities in Gore, Mataura and the surrounding areas,’’ Mr McPhail said.
The project would cover about 1km of river across five targeted areas and would involve removing around 23,500cu m of gravel and sediment.
Hydraulic modelling indicated a change in flow capacity around the river by about 13% which would help to reduce the peak flood levels through Gore, improving performance during the high flows but not eliminating the flood risk entirely, he said.
Mr Patterson said he was very happy with the project and considered it an asset to the community that would have lasting impacts on the people around the Mataura River.
‘‘I’m pleased to see it.
‘‘When you look at things like insurance and giving insurance companies assurance, we’re letting them know we’re doing all we can at a central [government] level to protect community assets. We think it’s a really good investment.
‘‘I think no matter who is in government they’re going to see the value of this sort of work, because it’s protecting communities, assets, homes, livelihoods,’’ he said.
