New Wairoa River bar flood resilience modifications begin this week in Hawke’s Bay

Work began this week on lowering a section of the beach crest at the Wairoa River bar to improve flood resilience. Photo / Hawke's Bay Regional Council

Work began this week on further modifications to the Wairoa River bar that will improve flood resilience for the Wairoa township.

A section of the beach crest is being carefully lowered between Rangi-houa (Pilot Hill) and the old pier.

“The initiative is part of the intermediate management plan for the Wairoa bar, a collaborative effort between the regional council, Wairoa District Council and Tātau Tātau o Te Wairoa,” Hawke’s Bay Regional Council (HBRC) said in a statement.

“By lowering the beach crest, water will be able to exit the river more effectively during high flows or flood events, reducing the risk of flooding and the need for reactive openings of the bar.”

In June 2024, catastrophic flooding swamped 127 homes and spilled into hundreds of other properties in Wairoa.

The intermediate management plan was unveiled last month after an ecological survey of the Wairoa River.

It followed a critical review by the Government into the floods over the decision by the HBRC not to begin opening the Wairoa River bar earlier, given the information available to it. It hit out at the council’s culture, its communication with Wairoa officials and locals, its tendency to be overly optimistic and the lack of warning given to those in the firing line.

The review did no go as far as to state that an earlier opening of the bar would have prevented the floods that swamped the lower part of the township.

Local company Pryde Contracting began the work last Monday and remained on track to complete the project early next week.

The modified section would be monitored and maintained as part of the ongoing management plan, the statement said.

HBRC chair Hinewai Ormsby said the council was pleased to be taking this proactive step.

“Developing a collaborative river bar management plan is an important way we can show the people of Wairoa that we’re listening, we care, and we are acting,” Ormsby said.

“Protecting the community and reducing the risk of future flooding is not just a priority, it’s a responsibility we take very seriously.”

She said the regional council will continue to keep the river mouth open and, where possible, in its optimal location.

“The council’s priority is to relocate the mouth, when there is the opportunity, from a poor to an ideal location.”

Last year, the HBRC was trialling a 50m wide overflow channel designed to release flood waters and enable the opening or relocation of the Wairoa Bar in optimal conditions.