Southland
- Otautau flood protection covers 19 km of stop bank, boosting resilience to extreme events.
- The project involves rock installations, erosion control, and stream channel capacity restoration.
- Central government and local council have allocated $500,000 to complete this vital project.
Work will commence this week on critical flood protection measures for Otautau. The project, covering 19 kilometres of stop banks from Otautau to Wreys Bush, includes erosion control, stop bank improvements, and removing crack willow from the Otautau Stream.
According to Environment Southland catchment operations manager Randal Beal, although the Otautau Stream stop banks are in generally good condition, the enhancements will reduce identified flood risks and strengthen the community's defences against future flooding. "This project builds on our work to protect people, property, and critical infrastructure, such as roads and utilities, from the damaging impacts of extreme flooding,” he said.
As part of the work, 3,300 tonnes of rock will be placed to protect the stream edges and 1,000 tonnes of fill will be used to reinforce long-term protection from erosion, while also restoring the stream’s flood capacity. The entire project is scheduled for completion by autumn 2025.
During construction, public access to the stop bank will be restricted for safety reasons, and security fencing will be installed around the work zone. The public is advised to avoid the area while machinery is in operation.
Additionally, the Southland District Council will be removing trees on Slaughterhouse Road and near the old tip site road as part of the project. Further work may be needed to maintain the stop banks’ stability following the tree removal.
The Otautau project is one of three initiatives Environment Southland is undertaking, funded by $3.6 million from the central government’s Before the Deluge 2.0 programme, supplemented by $2.4 million from local council sources. The Otautau project has a budget of $500,000, with $300,000 from central government and $200,000 from Environment Southland.
The two other projects receiving government funding are in the Ōreti and Aparima catchments, as well as the Te Anau Basin. Mr Beal emphasised the importance of these initiatives: “By investing in flood protection infrastructure and working closely with local councils, we are proactively addressing the challenges of climate change and protecting our communities for the future.”
This follows a previous successful bid in 2020, which allowed Environment Southland to complete six climate resilience projects, including work on the Waiau River, Stead Street Pump Station, and in towns such as Gore and Mataura.