© 2022 Resilient River Communities

Resilient River Communities

River Managers' Professional Development Programme

This programme has been designed to identify a framework to raise awareness, learning and development pathways and ultimately drive recruitment and attraction strategies to assure river management expertise for the future

Upcoming Workshops

Successful completion of a workshop will result in participants being awarded an Attendance Certificate stating CPD hours.

Cancellation fees 

(prior to start date)

More than 10 working days No fee
Less than 10 working days 50% of course cost

Transfer

(prior to start date)

More than 10 working days Please email: Rachael Armstrong
Less than 2 working days Will be treated as a cancellation
Substitute delegates Is available Please email: Rachael Armstrong

Council Monthly Catch ups:

Let's connect, share an idea, talk about issues and work on solutions as a team. 

Followed by networking. 

To join email rachael.armstrong@hbrc.govt.nz

 

 

Field Trip to Rangitata Diversion Race

Rangitata Diversion Race Ltd (RDR) are undertaking some one off repair works to the syphon structures and canal. This is a rare opportunity to visit the site while works are underway. The afternoon is open to anyone with an interest in revetment repairs, river engineering, or canal design. Riley Consultants are the design engineers and Grant Hood Contracting are the contractor for this work.

  • Learn about the history of the RDR
  • Rare Opportunity to see these canals and their interaction with rivers
  • Installation of a concrete river revetment around the syphon structure.

Each site has its own features and story that will be of relevance/interest to river engineers, and dam designers.

All repairs will be completed by Xmas.

Bring high viz, steel cap boots, water and food for the afternoon.

 

When: 4 December 2024

Where: Christchurch

Time: 12.30pm 5.00pm

  • Arrive at Environment Canterbury carpark 12.15pm
  • Depart 12.30pm
  • 1.5 hours on site
  • Return to Environment Canterbury ~5pm

Followed by networking drinks (at own expense) to be held at Dux Central | Craft Beer | New Zealand

No charge to attend, this event is sponsored by NZSOLD, EngNZ Rivers Group and Resilient River Communities.

Spaces are limited. To register email Rachael.Armstrong@hbrc.govt.nz

 

 

 

 

 

 

Level One Asset Management Course

This course provides a contextual overview of the core elements of Asset Management (AM). Using case studies across different industries we will explore the benefits of Asset Management, required practices, lifecycle management, risk management and how to move forward on the AM journey. At the conclusion of this introductory course, participants will have a clear understanding of the key elements of AM and how to compile an asset management plan that aligns with organisational outcomes.

Syllabus

  • Introductions and Course Overview
  • Asset Management Overview
  • Asset Management – The Organisational Context
  • What is the State of my Assets?
  • Valuing Assets and Understanding lifecycle implications
  • Levels of Service – Do my assets deliver what is needed?
  • Risk Management
  • Lifecycle Management
  • The Asset Management Plan
  • Continuous Improvement
  • Managing the AM Journey
  • Summary

Presenter: Catherine Bayly 

Catherine is an experienced Infrastructure and Asset Manager. She has worked with and for local government organisations for over 20 years in NZ, Australia and the UK. Example work includes physical delivery of capital projects up to $300m, management of city assets, auditing AM competency of international water and river management schemes and most recently the design and completion of a national asset management system for the NZ Water Industry. Cath has co-developed competency based asset management courses in Australia which have been delivered to large scale asset owners including BHP Billiton, the defence force and the water industry. Cath has competencies in all elements of asset management and is particularly passionate about continuous improvement to efficiently deliver community services

When

Wednesday 11 December 2024

Where

Wellington

Time

9.00 am to 5.00 pm

Cost

$900.00 plus GST.

Council rate – $700.00 plus GST

Where to register

Email Rachael Armstrong - Rachael.Armstrong@hbrc.govt.nz

Poplars and Willows as Bioengineering Tools

The New Zealand Poplar & Willow Research Trust is offering national training 2-day workshops for new and experienced practitioners:

When: Tuesday 11 February - Wednesday 12 February 2025

Where: Hawke's Bay

Day 1 - 10.00am -4.30pm 

Classroom style workshop

Day 2 - 9.00am-3.30pm 

Field trip including drop off at Airport 

Cost: $750.00 - Member Councils will receive a $250.00 discount.

Presenter, Ian McIvor

To register email Rachael Armstrong - Rachael.Armstrong@hbrc.govt.nz

Workshop Programme

  • Using poplar and willow in bioengineering
  • Research supporting the bioengineer
  • Role of nurseries to support River Groups
  • River engineering in the region
  • Tools and resources for the practitioner
  • Field visit to river sites
  • Sites visits will include the Tutaekuri north bank to the junction with the Mangaone River. 

Hawke's Bay will be a good study of the impacts of Gabrielle and resilience of willow and poplar bioengineering.

Tairawhiti Rivers Recovery Field Trip

Nothing says 'field trip fun' like coffee-fueled presentations, scenic bridges, and floodgate site visits—topped off with local brewery & winery pit stops to recover from the recovery!

Tairāwhiti’s post-Cyclone Gabrielle recovery showcases an integrated approach to resilience and community safety. Highlights include the Te Karaka Township optioneering and Waipaoa River stopbank improvements, which address flood resilience through targeted hydraulic modelling and community engagement. Taruheru River enhancements and the management of large woody debris illustrate the region’s commitment to reducing flood risks and environmental impacts.

This field trip will also explore bridge repairs and replacements, examining the role of key structures in river management. Efforts like house raising, addressing flood-prone and erosion-impacted homes, as well as restoring critical pipe bridges for Gisborne’s water supply underline the breadth of recovery work. This trip offers a unique opportunity to see how collaboration and innovation are shaping Tairāwhiti's path to a stronger future.

 

When:

26 - 27 February 2025

 

Where:

Gisborne

As well as some site visits, will be covering the topics below with lessons learned, challenges, future plans etc.

  • Stopbank construction currently underway
  • Flood resilience Investigations and flood mitigations that is being rolled out now
  • Bridge rebuild/replacements with a Rivers lens
  • Large Woody debris removal project
  • Community/Iwi/Hapu/Whanau engagement
  • Flood Resilience Recommendations Project, Nick Gordon, GDC
  • Cat 3 Properties, Dr Murry Cave, GDC

 

Day 1

9.30am Registration

10:00am Welcome, Presentations

12.30pm Lunch - Rose Rooms

1.15pm Bus leaves

Hikuwai Bridge site visit

4.45pm Return to town

Drink at Sunshine Brewery

6.15pm Bus leaves for dinner

6.45pm Dinner at The Vines, Bushmere Estate (bushmerevines.co.nz)

9.30pm Bus returns to CBD

 

Day 2

8:30am Networking tea/coffee

9.00am Presentation

10.30am Bus leaves Rose Rooms

Waipaoa stopbank construction

Mahunga floodgate

Tangihanga Station

TBC Te Karaka

4.30pm Bus drop off

6:00pm dinner at ‘The Works’

 

There’s also the opportunity to extend your stay to take in the beaches, sunshine, surf and local wineries and breweries

 

Day 3

Gisborne is the first place in the world to see the sunrise each and every day,

Join us for beach walk at 10:30am and hear a local story about how different it looks now compared to floods in Gabrielle.

Explore Gisborne at your leisure, visit beaches, wineries

Attendees to bring sturdy footwear, hi vis, sunhats and sunscreen

 

Presenters:

Murry Cave, Tim Barry, Joss Ruifork, Nick Gordon, GDC

 

Cost

$850.00 plus GST.

Council rate – $200.00 discount

 

Where to register

Email Rachael Armstrong - Rachael.Armstrong@hbrc.govt.nz

Nature Based Solutions for Flood Mitigation MFE Projects – mid project workshop

The Ministry for the Environment granted Regional, Councils funding to support 21 flood mitigation feasibility studies across 15 regions using Nature-Based Solutions (NBS). Each project is due for completion by end of June 2025.

This workshop is a mid-project opportunity for project teams from across the country to compare notes and problem-solve issues, as they enter the final stages of project delivery.

The purpose of this one-day workshop is:

  • To build a NBS community of practice within the Regional Sector
  • To discuss common challenges and potential solutions
  • To understand the WHY, i.e. how each NBS project forms part of a broader flood protection management strategy within their region
  • To find opportunities to collaborate and share resources.
  • To identify emerging good practice for NBS feasibility studies.
  • To initiate development of a good practice guide for the future, based on the NBS pilot studies, as a starting point for the industry.
  • To identify next steps and what is needed to progress the use of NBS for flood mitigation.
  • To share experiences of running the NBS pilot studies, expand your network, and learn from other projects.

A summary report will capture workshop outputs and suggest guidance for future project implementation.

 

Who should attend?

We invite each project team to send a range of expertise to cover:

  • project management.
  • numerical modelling and science
  • communication and engagement
  • policy implications
  • consultants for the project

There may be a cross over within councils and contractors who are managing multiple projects.

Successful completion of a workshop will result in participants being awarded an Attendance Certificate stating CPD hours.

 

Facilitator:

Liam Foster, WSP

 

When

Wednesday 12 March 2025

 

Where

Blenheim, ASB Theatre

 

Time

9.00am to 5.00pm

 

Cost

$400.00 plus GST per person.

Earlybird Rate $300.00 ends 28.11.24

 

Where to register

Email Rachael Armstrong - Rachael.Armstrong@hbrc.govt.nz

 

 

Level One Asset Management Course

This course provides a contextual overview of the core elements of Asset Management (AM). Using case studies across different industries we will explore the benefits of Asset Management, required practices, lifecycle management, risk management and how to move forward on the AM journey. At the conclusion of this introductory course, participants will have a clear understanding of the key elements of AM and how to compile an asset management plan that aligns with organisational outcomes.

Syllabus

  • Introductions and Course Overview
  • Asset Management Overview
  • Asset Management – The Organisational Context
  • What is the State of my Assets?
  • Valuing Assets and Understanding lifecycle implications
  • Levels of Service – Do my assets deliver what is needed?
  • Risk Management
  • Lifecycle Management
  • The Asset Management Plan
  • Continuous Improvement
  • Managing the AM Journey
  • Summary

Presenter: Catherine Bayly 

Catherine is an experienced Infrastructure and Asset Manager. She has worked with and for local government organisations for over 20 years in NZ, Australia and the UK. Example work includes physical delivery of capital projects up to $300m, management of city assets, auditing AM competency of international water and river management schemes and most recently the design and completion of a national asset management system for the NZ Water Industry. Cath has co-developed competency based asset management courses in Australia which have been delivered to large scale asset owners including BHP Billiton, the defence force and the water industry. Cath has competencies in all elements of asset management and is particularly passionate about continuous improvement to efficiently deliver community services

When

27 March 2025

Where

Auckland

Time

9.00 am to 5.00 pm

Cost

$900.00 plus GST.

Council rate – $700.00 plus GST

Where to register

Email Rachael Armstrong - Rachael.Armstrong@hbrc.govt.nz

Rock Design for River Works

Date: 28 March 2025

Location: Auckland

Time: 10am-3pm

Cost: $500 plus GST.

Council staff $100 discount 

 

A workshop for designing rock revetments and groynes for River Works

A half-day workshop providing details of best practice methods for designing rock for use in river works. A high-level introduction to geomorphology will be provided for the purpose of understanding how rock works can affect river processes as well as key concepts affecting general scour design. A summary of tools for quantifying hydrological and hydraulic design parameters will be presented followed by guidance on when rock should be considered as a management tool. The design process will then be explained for rock revetments (rock lines) and groynes including general arrangement geometry, sizing, filters, and specifications. Examples will be provided of recent projects including where design/cost/maintenance trade-offs were considered.

 

Key themes

  • Brief introduction to geomorphology – how rivers work.
  • Outline tools for quantifying key design inputs – hydrology, hydraulics.
  • When to use rock.
  • General arrangement geometry for groynes & revetments.
  • Estimating general scour (geomorphic change);
  • Estimating local scour.
  • Sizing rock using three different methods.
  • Design of granular and geotextile filters.
  • Key specifications for rock.

 

Outcomes

A better understanding of designing rock for use in river works.

 

Who would benefit?

Local authority engineers and asset managers, consultants and contractors actively involved in river management, or who have a specific interest in and experience of rivers and their management.

 

Presenter

Kyle Christensen - River Engineering Consultant

 

Spaces limited

To register email Rachael.Armstrong@hbrc.govt.nz

Poplars and Willows as Bioengineering Tools

The New Zealand Poplar & Willow Research Trust is offering national training 2-day workshops for new and experienced practitioners:

When: 2025 DATES TBC

Where: Christchurch,

Cost: $750.00 - Members will receive a $250.00 discount.

Presenter, Ian McIvor

To register email Rachael Armstrong - Rachael.Armstrong@hbrc.govt.nz

Workshop Programme

  • Using poplar and willow in bioengineering
  • Research supporting the bioengineer
  • Role of nurseries to support River Groups
  • River engineering in the region
  • Tools and resources for the practitioner
  • Field visit to river sites
  • Canterbury workshop: visit easily accessible sites along the Waimakariri and Ashley rivers.

Key Learning Objectives/Outcomes

Familiarity with key principles in fluvial geomorphology and their application to various river management situations (e.g., catchment (and regional) planning, sediment flux issues, and relation to flood hazards). Build familiarity with key principles in fluvial geomorphology and their application to various river management situations 

When

Monday 20 October - Tuesday 21 October 2025 TBC

Where

Wellington and Waikanae

Time

Two full days (8am-5pm)

Exact times to be confirmed

Cost

$950.00 plus GST for 2-day course. Council rate – $800.00 plus GST

Where to register

Email Rachael Armstrong - Rachael.Armstrong@hbrc.govt.nz

Key themes

Management issues for which geomorphic insight is fundamental:

  • Work with the river (nature-based solutions) – respect diversity, work with process
  • Determine what is realistically achievable
  • Be proactive, precautionary, pre-emptive – tackle threatening processes
  • Risk management
  • Integrated Catchment Management
  • Active and passive practices (including the do-nothing option) – hard versus soft engineering practices … Role of maintenance (weed management)
  • Flood management/protection versus ‘living with a living river’
  • Managing river erosion
  • Using sediment budgets to manage sedimentation issues (including sand/gravel extraction)

Spatial Dimensions of geomorphologically-informed river management

Catchment

  • Fundamental geomorphic unit
  • Longitudinal profile – source, transfer accumulation zones
  • Network relationships (tributary-trunk stream pattern, flux)
  • Connectivity relationships

Channel planform: Braided, wandering gravel-bed, active meandering passive meandering, discontinuous watercourse (wetland/swamp)

Channel geometry

  • Downstream and at-a-station hydraulic geometry
  • Size and shape

Geomorphic units

  • Erosional and depositional forms (and process relations)
  • Channel (instream) and floodplain
  • Assemblages – and approach to analysis of morphodynamics, condition, recovery (Fryirs & Brierley, 2021)

Bed material size

  • Bedrock, Boulder/cobble, gravel-bed, sand-bed, fine-grained
  • Bedload, mixed load, suspended load

Temporal dimensions of geomorphologically-informed river management

Timescale: Geologic, geomorphic, engineering

Magnitude-frequency relations

Equilibrium versus non-linear relations

Legacy effect (landscape memory)

Processes of geomorphic river adjustment

  • Balance of impelling and resisting forces
  • Stream power, shear stress
  • Resistance elements – role of riparian vegetation, wood, ecosystem engineers
  • Entrainment, transport, deposition (Hjulstrom curve)
  • Sediment transport – Bedload, suspended load, solution load
  • Aggradation/degradation regime – Lane Balance

Evolutionary trajectory of rivers (and recovery potential)

  • Relating character and behaviour (capacity for adjustment/range of variability) to evolutionary trajectory
  • Scoping (modelling) prospective river futures to determine what is realistically achievable in management

Geomorphology and river health (condition)

What do we measure where, how and why?

What do we measure against?

Geomorphic relations to Māori conceptualisations of rivers

A living river ethos, mauri, mana, ora

How geomorphology can support river management (indicative only – set up follow up specialist courses)

Scoping river futures - Proactive and precautionary approaches to Visioning & Catchment Planning

Concern for treatment response

Geoethical considerations – concerns for social and environmental justice

  • Risk management
  • Integrated Catchment Management
  • Active and passive practices (including the do-nothing option) – hard versus soft engineering practices … Role of maintenance (weed management)
  • Flood management/protection versus ‘living with a living river’
  • Managing river erosion
  • Using sediment budgets to manage sedimentation issues (including sand/gravel extraction)

Presenters: Ian Fuller, Gary Brierley, Jon Tunnicliffe

A one-day workshop on practical examples of river management practices, and the context in which options are considered. Participants to bring case studies of recent works or current sites where works are proposed.  The workshop will be discussion based, with a short overview of the wider context of river management. 

 A look at practical examples of river management practices

Who would benefit?

Local authority engineers and asset managers, consultants and contractors actively involved in river management, or who have a specific interest in and experience of rivers and their management.

When

TBC

Where

Wellington

Time

One day (9 am to 5 pm)

9.00-10.30

Morning Tea

10.45-12.15

Lunch

1.15-2.45

Afternoon Tea

3.00-5.00

Cost

$500.00 plus GST.

Council rate – $400.00 plus GST

Where to register

Email Rachael Armstrong - Rachael.Armstrong@hbrc.govt.nz

Key themes

  • River management options: relating to river type and reach character.
  • Site context and pre-flood conditions: of flood history, channel changes and sediment transport activity.
  • Option selection: from potential bank protection and channel management measures.
  • Relating works to site: dimensioning structural bank works, scoping channel measures and margin vegetation management.
  • Learning from mistakes: all river management measures are temporary, thus monitoring and observation skills to learn from the river is essential.
  • Information techniques of drone imagery and comparing historical imagery (examples of this) and what this tells us about channel form and the rates of channel change, plus measuring bed material size.

Outcomes

A better understanding of river dynamics and the requirements of river engineering, and of different practices used on different types of rivers and around the country.

Presenter Gary Williams and Tony Dunlop. 

Upcoming Webinars

All webinars are one hour.

Bathymetric Lidar in River Environments

Tuesday 3 December 2024, 12.00pm

Monitoring both above and below the water surface in the river or coastal zones is a critical part of understanding change in the riverine and intertidal zones most susceptible to environment conditions caused by natural processes and exacerbated by a changing climate. Combined topographic and bathymetric LiDAR is an advanced measurement technique well suited to these otherwise difficult, submerged and active area to measure at scale.

The presentation discusses LiDAR technology and in more detail the challenges associated with acquisition and processing of ALB (Aerial LiDAR Bathymetry), as well as the benefits of applying it in New Zealands fresh water rivers.

We will look at the sensor technology, the acquisition challenges, advanced processing

workflows and how these deliverables can be used to map these river or coastal zones effectively.

This presentation will be a good overview of the technology, methodology, deliverables and insights offered by this active remote sensing technique. We will discuss the primary deliverables as well as other projects able to benefit from the high resolution, seamless datasets such as gravel extraction, stockbank assessment, improved flood modelling and a number of other potential use cases of high resolution LiDAR and imagery captured at scale across regions.

Presenter: Andy Burrell, Landpro & David Arseneau, Tasman District Council

To register https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_w1iedFXFS22rrg5Wvfnbdg

A round up of activity in 2024 

Friday13 December 2024 - 1.00pm

A year in reflection from the River Managers perspective and a look ahead to whats next in 2025.

Graeme Campbell convener of the New Zealand River Managers group will recap the activities of the past year and the upcoming future opportunities. This presentation will cover what we plan to do to increase New Zealand's resilience to flooding and look at how we can work across communities, our councils and in partnership with government. This will be followed by a Q&A.

Hear from River Managers SIG Convener Graeme Campbell and River Mangers Group Chair Richard Measures with an opportunity to ask questions. 

To register https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_IjG4jl7eT9ONgBife4rfwg 

 

Digital Badges

Āpōpō - Asset Management and Flood Risk Management Training

Discounted online digital badge training and public training courses

  1. a 10% discount of Āpōpō ’s award-winning digital badge programme and public training. From the essentials of asset management through to more advanced badges that cover different subjects in more detail and are appropriate for more experienced practitioners. Choose which digital badges suit you or your team and do them at your own pace online, anytime and anywhere.
  2. Āpōpō’s three specialist WM badges on Flood Risk Management.

Discount code to enter during checkout: resilientrivers10

Click here to choose your training, then use the discount code at checkout: Digital badges - Build your knowledge - Āpōpō (apopo.co.nz)

Contact training@apopo.co.nz with any specific questions on their training.

Webinar Recordings

Check out our webinar library to watch previously recorded webinars.

Webinar library

Previous workshops

As these are paid workshops we do not share the content for them online. 

2024

  • River management practice
  • Strategic overview of rivers and catchments geomorphology, and river management
  • Over-design event
  • Room for the river
  • Rock design
  • Flood warning symposium
  • Gravel management
  • Essentials of engagement
  • Poplars and willows as bioengineering tools
  • Asset management

2023

  • Hydrology
  • Strategic overview of rivers and catchments geomorphology, and river management
  • Tools and fluvial geomorphology
  • Communication and engagement
  • Project Management Prince 2 foundation
  • Taiao masterclass
  • River management practice
  • Room for the River 

Previous field trips

2024

  • Hawke's Bay field trip 
  • Canterbury flood recovery field trip  – CANCELLED

2023

  • Operational practice - Bay of Plenty Regional Council field trip