Work began on Friday widening sections of the river channel near the banks of the Mataura River at the Gore road and rail bridge crossing.
The ground-breaking ceremony 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 will increase flood protection for more than 7000 people in the Gore district.
The work is expected to take about four months, weather permitting.
Gravel and sediment buildup has been a controversial topic within the region.
Farmers and catchment liaison committee members expressed frustration to Environment Southland late last year at a public meeting.
Now the work will be done, thanks to $7.2 million from the Regional Infrastructure fund, with Environment Southland contributing the rest.
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 aims to improve channel capacity.
The focus is 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.
It covers about 1km of river across five targeted areas and involves removing around 23,500cu m of gravel and sediment.
Hydraulic modelling has indicated a change in flow capacity around the river by around 13% which will help to reduce the peak flood levels through Gore, improving performance during the high flows but not eliminating the flood risk entirely.
Mr Patterson said he was very happy with the project and considered it an asset to the community that will 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.
