Contractors at the Wairoa River bar on Wednesday morning. Photo / HBRC
Contractors at the Wairoa River bar on Wednesday morning. Photo / HBRC
An attempt is being made to create a new opening in the Wairoa River bar with plenty of rain on the way.
Hawke’s Bay has been placed under an orange heavy rain warning from 10am Wednesday to 10am Thursday, with potential for 100mm to 150mm of rain.
The heaviest periodsof rain are expected Wednesday night.
The highest rain warning level issued by MetService is red, which has been issued for other parts of the North Island, including Northland and Bay of Plenty.
An orange heavy rain warning has been issued for Hawke's Bay. Photo / MetService
Hawke’s Bay Regional Council councillor Di Roadley, who represents Wairoa, said an attempt was being made to establish a new opening in the Wairoa River bar.
The purpose of the opening attempt is a precaution with heavy rain on the way, and also a good opportunity to re-establish a new opening in a good location of the Wairoa River bar.
Roadley said the river was flowing well through its current mouth to the west of Pilot Hill, and a new opening to the east of Pilot Hill would essentially make a more direct route for the water in the river to flow out to sea.
Pryde Contracting began preparing for an opening attempt on Tuesday, and had “diggers in the ground” on Wednesday morning.
“Down at the river mouth, we have a lowered crest, and part of the thinking of that lowered crest was that we would not need such a long lead-in to have an attempt to open it,” Roadley said.
The Wairoa River bar pictured in the past. Photo / Paul Taylor
“That is where they are working, in the lowered crest, which is why they are actually only starting this morning.”
She said if the opening attempt was successful, it was expected to be done in time for heavy rain later in the afternoon/evening.
She said sea swells, sea levels, and the height of the river all had to be right before the cut could be made into the bar, as there had to be enough water to “flush” through and create a new opening.
Wairoa suffered a serious flood in June 2024, which drew plenty of criticism about the management of the bar.
There are cameras on the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council website where people can watch progress of the opening attempt.
MetService’s orange heavy rain warning stated: “streams and rivers may rise rapidly [and] surface flooding, slips, and difficult driving conditions possible”.
Hawke’s Bay Civil Defence stated, in a social media post on Wednesday morning, that teams across Hawke’s Bay Emergency Management, the region’s five councils, and partner agencies were currently monitoring the situation and “co-ordinating our preparedness”.
HB Civil Defence recommended people can help by clearing drains and gutters, moving valuables and vehicles away from flood-prone areas, relocating stock from low-lying land, bringing pets indoors, and having essentials ready in case of power outages or road closures, and a grab bag and evacuation plan ready as a precaution.
“Remember, never enter, swim, or drive through flood water,” the post read.
