Council urged to delay rate hikes
A Southland farming leader wants the regional council to delay a proposed regional rates hike, much of which is intended to fund flood protection works.
The improvements are part of the Resilient River Communities project, a joint initiative between the Regional Economic Development & Investment Unit, regional councils, and local authorities focused on developing and upgrading vital river management and flood protection schemes in Aotearoa.
Catchment operations manager Randal Beal says improvements are being made to stop banks in Gore, Mataura, Wyndham and Invercargill.
“Stop banks are a critical part of Southland’s flood defences, providing a level of security in the face of potentially devastating flooding effects,” he says.
Improvements to the Waimumu stop bank in Mataura in December 2022, includes tree removal, root raking, rebuilding of some sections of the stop bank, stop bank realignment and rock armour placement.
In Wyndham, work begins this week on stop banks as part of the Wyndham Flood Protection Upgrade.
Improvements to the Invercargill/Waihōpai stop banks, which involves stop bank strengthening and a height increase as well as the installation of rip rap rock and rebuilding of the cycling track, will begin at the end of the month.
Work on the Gore stop banks is set to commence in April as part of the Gore Flood Protection Upgrade.
“Stop banks in urban areas protect homes, businesses and infrastructure, while the rural schemes protect high value production land and property outside the stop banks,” Beal says.
The projects are co-funded by Environment Southland and central Government, through Kānoa (the Regional Economic Development & Investment Unit within the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment). They are part of central government’s 2020 budget, which included $210 million for climate resilience and flood protection projects across New Zealand.
