Awanui River woes set to clear

The "disgusting" state of the river at Awanui will be improved by planned flood protection work, according to the NRC.

A Kaitaia man's disgust at the "shameful state of pollution" in the Awanui River will be eased by planned improvements to the catchment's flood protection works, according to the Northland Regional Council.

John Tilson said he had been shocked to see a "disgusting film of sludge" on the river when he visited Awanui earlier this month. The pollution stretched past moored boats and the Big River Cafe, and as far as he could see downstream.

"[I have] never, ever seen the river in this state before; I usually see fish jumping and waterfowl present," he said.

"There was no sign of life at all on the river, no water birds, fish. It all looked so septic."
The Northland Regional Council's group manager — environmental services, Bruce Howse, said there had been problems since the section of river immediately east of SH10 became a backwater.

"It has no through-flow, and only receives urban stormwater from Awanui township and rural runoff from the Far North District Council drainage district," he said.

With a high water table common at this time of year, the drain that ran into the river contained a lot of rotting organic material, which, combined with high tides holding the Awanui River water back, created a "bubbly mess" that eventually began to putrefy.

But the health of the river would improve thanks to the regional council's proposed seven-year, $15 million Awanui scheme project, due to start in 2020. The work was designed to improve flood protection for Kaitaia and Awanui, but would also have a positive impact on the health of the river.

"Among the environmental benefits will be more stable riverbanks, with less scouring and associated erosion, and the removal of material obstructing flow within the river," Mr Howse said, adding the council worked with landowners to ensure new work would not lead to erosion or sedimentation in the river and Rangaunu Harbour.

The project was designed to protect people and buildings from a one-in-100-year flood, and agricultural production from one-in-20-year floods. It would also reduce flooding by seawater of low-lying and reclaimed land around the southern end of Rangaunu Harbour to no more than once in 20 years, and reduce the volume of sediment carried by the river and discharged into the harbour.