Clive resident calls for river dredging after years of ‘neglect’

Hawke's Bay Regional Council is carrying out strengthening work on the Awa o Mokotūāraro riverbank, but a Clive resident says it's the awa that needs the attention first.

A Clive resident wants Hawke’s Bay Regional Council to first spend money on dredging the town’s river, before shoring up one of its banks.

In 2022, HBRC chose not to allocate $3 million needed to dredge Te Awa o Mokotūāraro – formerly known as Clive River – and deferred the decision to the next Long-Term Plan.

Then Cyclone Gabrielle struck and the work was pushed out again.

The river hasn’t been dredged since 2009 and the next opportunity for HBRC to give it the go-ahead will be 2027.

HBRC in July began work on strengthening the riverbank beside Farndon Rd to prevent erosion.

But Craig MacErlich, who was born and bred in Clive and grew up on the river, says it’s the river itself that needs the attention first.

“Once upon a time, when I was young and foolish, we would jump off the Clive Bridge. The water was deep. We would also swim across to the bars.

“I wouldn’t swim in it now. Hawke’s Bay Regional Council has neglected the river. It hasn’t been dredged for years,” MacErlich said.

A spokesperson for HBRC said the council acknowledged the concerns and appreciated locals’ long-standing connection to Te Awa o Mokotūāraro.

“The subject of dredging the river was taken to the council before Cyclone Gabrielle, to seek additional funding,” the spokesperson said.

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council is using a thick layer of large rocks to strengthen the riverbank along Te Awa o Mokotuararo.

“At that time, an extra $3m was needed and suitable options for sediment disposal were still being explored.”

The council chose not to allocate the additional funding and deferred the decision to the next Long-Term Plan.

After the cyclone, the revised Long-Term Plan (a shorter three-year plan) focused on recovery efforts and rebuilding critical infrastructure.

“Looking ahead, the next opportunity to reconsider funding for this important work will be during the development of the 2027-2037 Long Term Plan,” the spokesperson said.

“If funding is approved, the timing of the dredging will depend on when it is available and capacity within HBRC to do the work.”

The Awa o Mokotuararo (Clive River) in the 1900s. Photo / Michael Fowler Collection

MacErlich said a lack of maintenance had left the river with little flow and that it was polluted.

“When the weed boat works upstream in the Karamu, the weed floats down to the river, then stops because of the lack of flow and sits there and rots.”

The council spokesperson said they knew weed removed from upstream can sometimes accumulate in the Clive River.

“This is an unintended consequence of weed clearance operations, and we are actively reviewing how operational methods and scheduling can better account for downstream effects.”

The area of the riverbank being worked on was identified after stopbank ground investigations found the riverside slope had been worn away by the river.

“We have stabilised it by building a structure of specific-sized and graded rock to protect against erosion.

“It will be installed by building a thick layer of large rocks, along with approved detailed engineering designs. It acts as a barrier to absorb the energy of the river, preventing it from eroding and undermining the bank.”

The road shoulder will be closed most of the time, with traffic management in place when needed. It is expected that work will be completed by the middle of September.

The council said, as the project was still under way, the final cost was yet to be confirmed.

In January 2023, a rowing regatta, which included teams from around the country, had to pause at low tide because of weeds and tubeworms interfering with the course.

The river was officially named Te Awa o Mokotūāraro, a shorter version of Ngaruroro Moko-tū-ā-raro ki Rangatira, the original Māori name, in 2023.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.