Project Start Year: 2025
Wider Nelson experienced flooding in August 2022 and May 2023. The severe weather August 2022 event caused widespread flood and landslip damage in Nelson. Damage in the Maitai region was significant. This included the overtopping of the Maitai River in sections of the stopbank adjacent to Clouston Terrace and near Mill Street and the failure of the stormwater intake structure on Cleveland Terrace. The event also added to the flooding of the area near the Queen's Garden due to the surcharge of raised river flow into the Queen's Garden. Matai flood management works consist of the following:
Cleveland Terrace Stormwater Intake: this part of the project is designed to upsize the headwall and culvert to reduce the area's flooding risk, bringing more capacity into the network. It’s planned to be completed by late August 2025.
Clouston Terrace – Hanby Park Stopbank – Clouston Bridge Floodwall: Maitai River overtopped several sections of the stopbank during both flood events. This project is in the design phase and is exploring potential options including raising the stopbank along the existing alignment, building floodwalls and/or creating a floodway to reduce the risk of flooding in the region and improve resilience for residents and properties in the area.
Queen’s Garden Drainage Diversion: The properties surrounding the Queen's Garden suffered flooding during the August 2022 event due to the backflow from the Maitai River through the stormwater network. Investigations are progressing to determine the options to lay a new stormwater outlet pipe from Queen’s Garden to further downstream on the Maitai River that can reduce the risk of flooding the garden and nearby properties.
Benefits and Resilience
Funding from Kānoa’s Regional Infrastructure Fund allows Nelson City Council to move from fixing the damage from the August 2022 storm to improving Nelson’s resilience for future generations.
Adaptation
The increased frequency and intensity of storms in Nelson Maitai due to climate change put additional pressure on existing flood protection schemes. This investment reduces flood risk significantly for hundreds of Nelsonians.
Collaboration
Members of the Council’s infrastructure team work collaboratively with councils across New Zealand and local iwi to share insights and knowledge, supporting the realisation of cultural and community benefits. This project is co-funded by Nelson City Council and central government through Kānoa’s Regional Infrastructure Fund. This funding allows the council to move from fixing damage to improving Nelson’s resilience for future generations.