Tasman District Council received $7.5m funding, contributing to the $10m budget, to strengthen several sections of the Motueka River stopbanks. This is a three stage project that started in 2021 and was completed in 2024.
Originally built in 1956 to protect the townships of Motueka and Riwaka, which are both built on the river’s floodplains, from frequent flooding in the lower reaches of the river. The stopbanks have effectively protected the growing communities from a number of significant flood events over the past six decades. This project strengthens the stopbanks back to full effectiveness and improve flood resilience for Motueka and Riwaka.
The Government investment enabled the Council to strengthen the stopbanks back to full effectiveness and improve flood resilience for Motueka and Riwaka. The Motueka River catchment is one of the largest river systems in the Tasman District, covering an area of 2170 square kilometres. The Motueka River flows from the mountainous Red Hills Ridge and Beebys Knob area more than 100km upstream of the river mouth. Eight significant river tributaries add to the flow (such as Motupiko, Tadmor, Wangapeka, Baton, Pearse, Pokororo, Shaggery and Brooklyn), as well as many smaller streams and creeks, culminating in a large and dynamic river system.
The stopbanks have proved their worth more than once since their construction. To enable development and investment decisions around both towns’ development, the stopbanks must be maintained. The funding also provided valuable jobs to local industry and community members involved in the realisation of the project.
Motueka and Riwaka's flood protection scheme is designed to ensure water levels remain well below the top of the stopbanks in events that have a 2% chance of occurring in any year, or once every 50 years. Investigations identified sites along the stopbanks requiring structural improvements to deliver the current level of flood protection.
