Improved flood protection for residents of Christchurch, Selwyn, and Waimakariri has moved a step closer with the granting of consents for the proposed Waimakariri Flood Protection Project.

The project, worth an estimated $34 million, will see the construction of a secondary stopbank along the Waimakariri River, with associated works including upgrading of the existing stopbanks and enhanced rock protection.

The construction work is due to start in spring 2010, and will be managed by Environment Canterbury’s river engineering team.

The decision granting the required consents for this work was released by Commissioners Bob Batty and Mike Bowden on July 8, 2009.

Forty one submissions were tabled during the hearings – both in support of and in opposition to the application. Submitters have 15 working days to appeal the decision.

While there remains an opportunity for an appeal, Environment Canterbury’s director operations, Ken Lawn, hopes the mitigation measures proposed as part of the project, and the consent conditions imposed by the commissioners, will have alleviated the submitters’ main concerns.

“In particular, this includes the implementation of a flood warning and evacuation plan for residents on the southern side of the river in the Halkett, McLeans Island and Coutts Island areas. Currently no such system is in place.

“A major review of the stopbank system, completed in 1991, identified stopbank failure as a significant risk factor for the existing system and confirmed the need for additional protection work.

“Granting of consents for the Waimakariri Flood Protection Project allows Environment Canterbury to provide this additional flood protection. A secondary stopbank system will provide an additional line of defence in the event of the primary banks failing, directing the flow along the old Waimakariri South Branch (Otukaikino River) before returning it to the Waimakariri River. The project includes upgrading primary stopbanks on both the northern and southern side of the river,” Ken Lawn says.

Funding options for the project, which is expected to take 10 years to construct and another 15 years for the loan repayment, have been approved by Environment Canterbury as part of its Long Term Council Community Plan.

For more information: Environment Canterbury Director of Operations, Ken Lawn, 03 372 7234, 027 499 1416.