Project Start Year: 2025
The Ōrāri River Flood Resilience Infrastructure Upgrades project upgrades stopbanks and flood protection infrastructure across Geraldine, Temuka, Pleasant Point, and Levels Plains. It includes investigations and design, stopbank upgrades across several locations, removal of overgrown and compromised trees, and strengthening river berms through weed control and replanting.
Benefits
The project improves flood resilience for local community, regional and national assets valued at around $543 million, including 5413 hectares of land, 819 properties, SH1, KiwiRail Bridge, aged care facility and a school around of the townships of Geraldine and Temuka.
Adaptation and Resilience
Events such as the 2023 Auckland floods and Cyclone Gabrielle have shown that extreme rainfall and flooding are occurring more often and causing more damage than in the past. Scientific evidence points to climate change increasing the intensity and frequency of these events. This project supports the future climate and flood resilience of the region through the upgrade and repair of critical flood protection infrastructure embracing the full PARA approach to flood risk – Protect, Accommodate, Retreat, Avoid (see image).
Collaboration
This project has been co-funded through central government’s Regional Investment Fund (RIF) and Environment Canterbury
This project enables upgrades for stopbanks and strengthening of vegetated river berms along the Ōrāri River, increasing flood resilience around Geraldine and Temuka communities. These upgrades better protect homes, businesses, farms, schools, and key transport routes including State Highway 1 and Kiwi Rail from future flood events.
Find out more on: River projects | Environment Canterbury