Wairoa flood review findings released
A review into the Wairoa flooding event on 26 June 2024 has found the flood was caused by a combination of factors leading to the river backing up and overflowing.
In September last year, a review into flooding in the township in June of that year revealed that Wairoa was wholly reliant on one method of risk mitigation for river mouth driven flooding, with no operational plan for the ongoing management and maintenance of the river mouth.
The report, an independent review for the Ministry for the Environment, also stated that – to widen the bar – weather and sea conditions needed to be aligned, reporting that it takes between five and seven days to do so.
The Intermediate Management Plan for the Wairoa Bar, led by Hawke’s Bay Regional Council in collaboration with Wairoa District Council and Tātau Tātau o Te Wairoa, outlines a proactive approach to managing flood risks.
Under the plan, the priority remains keeping a healthy open river mouth in its optimal location, and where there are opportunities to relocate it from a poor to ideal location, it will be progressed.
As conditions allow, it has been agreed to carefully lower a section of the beach crest between Rangi-houa (Pilot Hill) and the old pier.
This will be maintained, and monitored, and allow water to safely exit during a flood, reducing the need for emergency bar openings and helping to manage risk more effectively.
Hawke’s Bay Regional Council chair Hinewai Ormsby says the plan is a more resilient way of managing the Wairoa River mouth.
“We’re grateful for the partnership with Wairoa District Council and Tātau Tātau o Te Wairoa in delivering this important piece of work,” Ormsby says.
The plan is a ‘living document’ that will be reviewed and updated as needed, she says.
Crown Manager Lawrence Yule has emphasised the importance of a holistic floodplain management approach for Wairoa, including both short-term and long-term strategies for the river bar.
“This plan marks an important step toward a safer and more consistent approach to managing the Wairoa River mouth. It’s also just one piece of the puzzle, and further work to develop a permanent, long-term solution to the bar is ongoing,” Yule says.
The Regional Council says leading up to proposed work starting, an ecological survey of the Wairoa Bar was carried out.
The community can expect to see gravel surveying starting in the coming days and diggers working on the bar in the coming weeks.
