Horizons and Horowhenua District Council have been responding jointly to this issue, with funding set aside in the both councils’ current Long-term Plans. Kānoa-REDIU funding has enabled Horizons to explore options including a mitigation strategy which diverts water away from Foxton Township and stores it on rural land south of Foxton. The water will then either drain through gravity or be pumped back into the Foxton Loop.
Horizons has started to meet with affect landowners and is meeting regularly with local iwi to identify the impact of this work on taonga, whenua, and wahi tapu. Once this first round of consultation is complete Horizons staff and councillors will be talking to the wider Foxton community about the project.