The Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC) is looking to broaden its approach to managing the flood risks of free-flowing rivers contained within vegetated buffers.
In its draft Te Käuru Upper Ruamähanga Floodplain Management Plan, the council proposes the management of flooding and erosion on the Upper Ruamähanga River upstream of the Waiohine confluence, and its tributaries the Waipoua, Waingawa, Taueru, Whangaehu and Kopuaranga rivers.
The draft plan also recommends protecting, enhancing or restoring natural and cultural values while recognising the significance of the catchment’s rivers to affected landowners and the broader community.
GWRC councilor, and its environment committee chair, Sue Kedgley said the catchment has a history of flooding, which can be dangerous and damage private property and community assets.
“We hope our proposals will help protect the people and assets of riverside communities from flooding, while also minimising the impact of works in rivers and on the riverside environment,” she said,
Under the draft plan, landowners will benefit from more certainty and protection outside the buffers, but land within the buffers may be subject to erosion due to the greater licence rivers will be given to meander and take a more natural course.
GWRC councillor and Wairarapa Committee chair Adrienne Staples, meanwhile, said: “We recognise that the wider community also wants our rivers to have improved natural character and be more accessible.
“What we are proposing will hopefully achieve both goals while still acknowledging and protecting private property rights and assets,” she added.
The council said engagement and feedback on the plan will start in July for initiatives in rural areas and continue through August. Full details on how people will be able to review the plan and make their views known will be released soon.
