Project Start Year: 2025
Wider Nelson experienced flooding in August 2022 and May 2023. Several intake structures and streams suffered severe damage, including bank erosion and damage to the culverts. Repair works consist of the following:
Oldham Creek: stopbank works to protect the banks of Oldham Creek including remedial solutions like rock armouring and addressing the settlement issues of retaining walls.
Hillwood Stream Floodway: this includes an investigation phase, with potential options including a stopbank to divert the flow, stream capacity improvements and a floodwall to reduce the risk of flooding.
Todd Valley Culvert Upgrade: the three culverts in Todd Valley are undersized and require an upgrade to meet the current and future flow requirements. This part of the project aims to replace these culverts to meet Nelson Tasman Land Development Manual (NTLDM) Standards.
Seafield Terrace Drainage: installing a new stormwater culvert and drainage improvement works.
Devenish Place Intake: installing a barrier to collect debris and prevent it from entering and potentially blocking the stormwater network.
Benefits and resilience
This group of projects will reduce the flood risk significantly for hundreds of Nelsonians, including reducing the impact of flooding for surrounding properties, and helping to increase resilience against damage caused by flood and storm events.
Adaptation
The increased frequency and intensity of storms in Nelson due to climate change put pressure on existing flood protection schemes. Climate change and environmental factors have been considered while proposing solutions for these projects, meaning design and budgets can consider resilience, rather than recovery.
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.