FLOOD MITIGATION URGENCY RECOGNISED

Wairoa will find a solution for future flood protection, but it must be the right decision and not rushed, says Wairoa Mayor Craig Little.
“The urgency around progressing flood mitigation options for Wairoa is acknowledged, but it is too important just to tick the boxes in order to make a quick decision,” says Mr Little.
Wairoa’s Flood Protection Stakeholder Group members continue to work through critical flood mitigation options, with minimising cultural impact a key consideration.
Mr Little said while the $70 million earmarked by the government for flood mitigation for Wairoa has a specific brief of shifting Wairoa’s 627 Land Category 2A properties to 2C and in the future Land Category 1, a holistic approach is also needed.
“The solution may be raising houses along with a spillway or stop bank. We need to consider all the effects
of any decision-making. Some people’s homes and properties will be impacted by flood protection work, and we need to consider the effects this will have on people’s lives. This isn’t just about putting up a stop bank or digging a spillway, the ramifications on our communities and people are huge, and we need to get it right. If we don’t get it right, we could create bigger problems than we already have.
“We know it is frustrating to remain in Land Category 2A while the flood protection options are being worked through. We are committed to a solution and have asked the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council to move us to 2C to give certainty to our community and take the pressure off rushing flood protection decisions.
It is unbelievable we are still sitting in limbo in 2A, and I will continue to lobby to get us shifted to 2C.”
The stakeholder group has also asked for a global approach to Wairoa’s flood mitigation.
“While the model needs to work
from an engineering hydrological perspective, it also needs to work from a community perspective with the least impact on our whānau while offering the best protection possible. We must also acknowledge that we will never control Mother Nature, and flood prevention is not a silver bullet - but we can try to protect ourselves to the best of our ability.”
While engineered options are the driver behind flood protection, the group is also mindful of the impact of contributing factors such as the Wairoa River mouth management, slash/woody debris, the railway bridge, hydroelectric generating stations, river bank maintenance, siltation and the need for dredging and how each of these inputs may be minimal on their own, but they culminate to add to the risk of river flooding and need to be considered as part of the overall protection plan.
Discussions have also stressed improving the operational management process around the Wairoa River mouth to maintain an optimal position.
Group chairman Lawrence Yule said there is a need to capture local knowledge around the bar and preserve that for future generations to support robust processes. He described river mouth management as an art, not a science, and a dynamic situation where people on the ground need to use their experience around weather, tide management, currents and river height.
There is also acknowledgment from the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council that while river mouth management won’t solve flood issues, the bar does need to be proactively managed with local input and a short-term decision- making ability.
Meanwhile, the stakeholder group also had a presentation by the Ministry for Environment on the proposed Order in Council (OiC). Developed under legislation for all HB flood mitigation, the OiC aims to add more flexibility to the response, allowing quick regulatory changes
to respond to issues as they arise. Benefits of the OiC for Wairoa would involve speeding up the resource consents process to achieve the timeline of having flood protection completed in four years.

CRITICAL FLOOD MITIGATION OPTIONS BEING EXPLORED

Wairoa’s Flood Protection Stakeholder Group is exploring a range of critical flood mitigation options, including spillways and stopbanks, to provide future flood protection for the township.
Following Cyclone Gabrielle,
the Government earmarked $70 million for Wairoa to develop flood mitigation to a 1:100-year level to shift Wairoa’s 627 Category 2A properties to Category 2C and, in future, Catergory 1.
A Hawke’s Bay Regional Council engineering team has developed and tested models based on community discussions, thoughts, and ideas, and river data with options based on science, hydrology, and computer- generated modelling.
The stakeholder group’s task is to provide local knowledge and a grassroots Wairoa voice on the options being presented.
While the stakeholder group is an initial sounding board, options will be shared with the community for further engagement and feedback
– hopefully as early as next month. Public presentations will include the range of options explored and the rationale behind the findings and recommendations.
Final stakeholder and community preferences will then go to the Tripartite Partners, comprising Hawke’s Bay Regional Council, Tātau Tātau o Te Wairoa Trust and Wairoa District Council, with the final decision resting with the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council as the authority responsible for flood protection.
At a meeting earlier this month, stakeholders considered refined options based on additional work carried out in the field over the
past weeks. Considerations include hydrological, property, ecological, cultural, geotechnical, and archaeological impacts and costings.
The stakeholder group stressed the importance of cultural impacts on intergenerational land, taonga such as marae, and challenges with whenua Māori under multiple ownership.
They also expressed concern that the longer it takes to find a solution, the longer some homeowners within Category 2A have to wait to be able to rebuild their flood-impacted homes.
Once confirmation is received that construction of flood protection for Wairoa will proceed, it is expected to take affected properties from Category 2A to 2C, and in future, Category 1. A flood protection scheme will assist in managing future severe weather events, providing certainty for homeowners and businesses. It will also allow whānau to stay in their communities and prevent properties from falling under Category 3 and the voluntary buy-out programme.
Independent group chairman Lawrence Yule said the longer it takes to decide on an option, the longer Wairoa is unprotected, and people are in limbo.
He explained that, based on the decision-making timeframe, landowner negotiations, the consenting process, and construction timeframes, the completion of a flood protection scheme could still be years away.
“All the options have impacts, and none of them will be perfect. While the group has not selected a final option or options at this stage, we are starting to see an indication of some preferences.”
The stakeholder group has also requested whatever flood mitigation option is selected, the Wairoa River mouth’s active management needs to be improved.
The group has also stressed the importance of an extensive peer review of any proposal to ensure it is the best solution for Wairoa.
Wairoa Deputy Mayor and stakeholder group member Denise Eaglesome-Karekare said there is no flood mitigation option that does not impact our community. “Doing nothing is not an option, we have to find the best solution for our future.”
The group will meet again within the next fortnight and hopes to finalise its preferred options by the end of February and share these with the public in March.

FLOOD PROTECTION OPTIONS BEING EXAMINED

A group of local stakeholders is sifting through options to provide flood protection for Wairoa’s Land Category 2A residents.
As a result of Cyclone Gabrielle, Wairoa has 627 homes categorised as 2A, which indicates more information is needed before any further decisions can be made about a pathway forward.
Central Government has provided $70million for a flood protection scheme for Wairoa with Hawke’s Bay Regional Council, Tātau Tātau o Te Wairoa Trust and Wairoa District Council (The Tripartite partners) investigating options.
Engineers have developed a range of models based on thoughts and ideas from community engagement in August, plus river data with models based on science and hydrology and computer-generated modelling.
The stakeholder group provides local knowledge and a grassroots Wairoa voice. While the stakeholder group is an initial sounding board, options will be taken back out to the wider community for further engagement and feedback before a final decision is made by the tripartite partners.
Wairoa District Council Chief Executive Kitea Tipuna, speaking on behalf of the tripartite group, said a range of options are being considered and shortlisted. “In this type of situation, there will be cause and effect. We need to identify an efficient, agreeable, consentable solution that makes sense and has the most benefits for our township and the least detrimental impact on our community.
“During the Prime Minister’s visit to Wairoa earlier this month, we were told there is a sense of urgency in providing flood protection options for Wairoa, and the stakeholder group is working towards selecting its preferred option by the end of March.”
Mr Tipuna said early feedback from the stakeholder group was the need to actively manage the Wairoa River mouth and that the final model should be peer-reviewed to ensure the correct model is selected from a human life and monetary perspective.
Once confirmed, a flood protection scheme will assist in managing future severe weather events and provide certainty for homeowners and businesses. Approved flood protection is expected to take affected properties from 2A to 2C or 1, which will provide certainty and security moving forward and support keeping whānau in their communities and prevent properties in Wairoa from falling under the Land Category 3 property buyout.

INDEPENDENT FLOOD INVESTIGATION LAUNCHED BY THE WAIROA DISTRICT COUNCIL

An independent investigation has been launched by the Wairoa District Council into why Wairoa flooded so severely during Cyclone Gabrielle.
Wairoa Mayor Craig Little said the community cannot move forward until a definitive answer to the catastrophic flooding is known.
“We still have around 140 yellow stickered homes and 627 properties in Land Category 2A. Our focus is on getting whānau back into their homes, but to achieve that, we need to know what caused such extreme flooding on February 14.
“Wairoa has secured $70m, ring- fenced by the Central Government for flood mitigation. WSP engineers contracted by HBRC are looking at flood protection options to take our impacted residents from 2A to Land Category 2C and 1. But we cannot plan and build solutions when we do not know with certainty what caused the flooding.”
Mr Little wrote to the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council directly after the cyclone, asking for answers to a series of questions. “While some questions were addressed, we are not confident we know all the answers. The Hawke’s Bay Regional Council told us they would be carrying out an independent investigation into why Wairoa flooded so severely in Cyclone Gabrielle. This has not happened, which has prompted our Council to start this vital work ourselves. This review is not a Wairoa District Council responsibility, but we are concerned about the wellbeing of our people and we need to know why we flooded before we start river protection and for the future prosperity of our community.
“We know there was a series of contributing factors including debris and slash backed up like beaver dams on bridges, a huge volume of water that came into the Wairoa catchment, the location and openness of the Wairoa bar and the tide, shallow waterways, management of Genesis and Waihi power schemes and overflows. It may be a combination of these things that was the cause or something that has not even been considered. The key, though, is knowing why we flooded so significantly so we can work on a solution.”

WORKING THROUGH WAIROA’S FLOOD PROTECTION OPTIONS

Further hui to hear from the community about their flood mitigation thoughts will be held soon.

Phase one of community engagement was held in August, providing an opportunity for people to share their flood protection thoughts, feedback and insights. Recurring themes were, learning from others and looking at a broad range of river flood mitigation and protection options.

Across the Wairoa district, around 667 properties are sitting in Provisional Land Category 2A – which indicates more information is needed before any further decisions can be made about a pathway forward.

A Crown recovery support package has ring-fenced $70m specifically for flood protection work in the Wairoa district to help manage future severe weather events and provide certainty for homeowners and businesses.

The Council is working in collaboration with the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council, Engineering and Environmental Consultancy, WSP and Tātau Tātau o Te Wairoa to collate and analyse information from various sources. A stakeholder group is also being formed to provide feedback on ideas, options and solutions.

Based on feedback already received, key themes from the submissions were improving drainage, creating wetlands and more riparian planting. There were also concerns around slash management, the right tree
in the right place and wilding pine controls.

Options from rain gardens, sandbags, managed retreat and dredging, changing river pressure points, flood channels, and spillways were all proposed flood mitigation solutions. Stop banks were also suggested, but with a reminder that whatever you do on one side of the river affects the other.

Locals also wanted more information about the Waihi Dam and the potential for Genesis Energy to increase storage capacity. Feedback also identified a need for improved alert and warning systems, Civil Defence education and evacuation plans.

While Cyclone Gabrielle was labelled as the worst weather event, it followed a similar path to the 1948 flooding and Cyclone Bola and broke through the same low-point areas. There was also feedback around the impacts of tree removal causing erosion, the amount of slash and the impacts from other waterways.

Early findings from the original feedback and potential flood protection options, will be taken back to the community to ensure the information shared in the first round of hui has been accurately captured and to provide an opportunity for the discussions so far to generate even more korero and opportunities.
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The list of potential flood protection options is expected to be refined in line with community consultation. Once the preferred solution is identified, concept designs will be created, along with costings.

FLOOD PROTECTION INVESTMENT

As part of the cost-sharing package provided to Hawke’s Bay’s five councils, the Government have confirmed $203.5 million toward flood protection for the region.

The funds will be provided to Hawke’s Bay Regional Council specifically to support viable flood protection solutions for Category 2 properties. The funds will allow work to make Hawke’s Bay more resilient to future flood risks.

Within the funding package, $70 million is allocated for a fully funded and greatly welcomed flood protection scheme for Wairoa. This work will be a collaboration between the Regional Council, Wairoa District Council and Tātau Tātau O Te Wairoa.

The project will look at the flood impact on all of Wairoa but will have a major focus on the North Clyde area which flooded in both Cyclone Gabrielle and Cyclone Bola. The outcome will deliver a new flood scheme and supporting flood protection assets.

In Wairoa, community consultation has begun, and a project team is assigned to lead this important work.
The flood protection funding package of $70 million is a significant step forward for Wairoa.

Doing nothing, like after Cyclone Bola in 1988, is no longer an option. Under the Government’s Land Categorisation, Wairoa had been sitting in 2A, which meant more assessment was needed.

This funding means flood protection can be implemented, which will help us manage future severe weather events and means our properties will not fall under Land Category 3 - property buyout.

Through flood protection, the focus is to turn 2A properties to 2C and then to Category 1.