The Rangitāiki Floodway upgrade is a multi-stage project designed to take pressure off the flood-prone Rangitāiki River by diverting some of its flow.
The idea was conceived as a result of the Edgecumbe Stopbank Breach of 2004. This breach caused an estimated $35 million in damages and lost production.
In 2017 another breach occurred at the College Road Floodwall causing upwards of $90 million of damage.
This multi-stage project will widen the channel, raise the stopbanks and create a second outlet into the Rangitāiki River. Once the floodway has been completed the spillway into the floodway can be upgraded to allow the increased flow.
Once completed this work will increase the capacity of the floodway which will reduce flood levels in the Rangitāiki River from upstream of Edgecumbe to the river mouth. This will in turn reduce pressure on Rangitāiki River stopbanks during large flood events.
The floodway and spillway are expected to be completed by the end of 2022.
Stage one of the floodway involved channel widening, deconstructing and reconstructing part of the stopbank, and relocating a building.
This was completed in the 2011/12 construction season and cost $3.2 million.
Stage two of the project was split into two sections:
2A: involved channel widening and deconstructing and rebuilding part of the stopbank on the left bank. Wick drains were also constructed.
This was completed in the 2013/14 construction season and cost $2.4 million.
2b: involved channel widening and deconstructing and rebuilding part of the stopbanks on the right bank. Wick drains were also constructed.
This was completed in the 2014/15 construction season and cost $2.4 million.
This stage was split into two sections:
3: Involved stopbank raising of the right bank and increasing the level of adjacent land.
This was completed in the 2015/16 construction season and cost $2.05 million
3A: This involved constructing wick drains.
This was completed in the 2016/17 construction season and cost $2.4 million.
Stage four of the floodway involved earthworks to relocate stopbanks, channel widening to increase capacity and works on internal drainage systems.
Stage four was completed over the 2017-2019 construction seasons and cost $4.3 million
Stage five of the floodway saw a bifurcation (splitting one water course into two) cut from the left bank of Reid’s Central Canal across Thornton Hall Road to provide a second outlet into the Rangitaiki River and out through the river mouth.
These works also included road alignment works and a new bridge to carry Thornton Hall Road over the new canal outlet.
Stage five was completed in the 2019/20 construction season and cost $2.5 million
Stage 6 has been split into 3 sections:
6A: Involved raising the left stopbank of the floodway north of McLean Road. It was completed in the 2020/21 construction season.
6B: Involves the raising of the left stopbank from McLean Road to State Highway 2 is expected to be competed in the 2020/21 construction season
6C: Involves raising the right stopbanks. It is well underway and is expected to be completed in the 2021/22 construction season
Stage six is expected to cost $10.9 million
Stage Seven of the floodway involved purchasing land for the spillway which was completed in the 2019/20 construction season. This cost $1.2 million
It also involves raising the stopbank from Hydro Road to State Highway 2. This was started in the 2019/20 construction season and is expected to be completed in the 2020/2021 construction season and cost $2.8 million.
The spillway is what will channel the water from the Rangitāiki River into the floodway.
The design of the spillway is underway and construction is expected to be completed in the 2021/22 construction season and cost $2.8 million.
Bay of Plenty Regional Council received funding from Central Government’s Crown Infrastructure Funding for Stage 6 of the Rangitāiki Floodway and the Spillway.
Toi Moana put the project up as a shovel ready project after Central Government announced it wanted to help with economic recovery after Covid 19.
The funding covers 75% of:
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Construction of Stage 6c of the Rangitāiki Floodway is underway after resource consent was granted.
This stage will see 3km of the right stopbank raised and has been split into two sections.
Construction of Stage 6c of the Rangitāiki Floodway is underway after resource consent was granted.
This stage will see 3km of the right stopbank raised and has been split into two sections.
For the initial section, stockpiled construction earthfill will be transported from our storage site at the State Highway 2 end to halfway down the stopbank for construction. Contractors will then work back towards State Highway 2.
There is a temporary speed restriction of 50km/h (as identified on the map above) on State Highway 2 as trucks will be turning onto site.
We are hoping to complete to this section before July 2021, weather permitting.
We will then have to stop the project over winter, and will begin raising the second half of the right stopbank later in the year.
We’re doing this work to improve how water travels down the Rangitāiki Floodway (Reids Central Canal), which will in turn reduce the pressure on the Rangitāiki River stopbanks during large flood events.
Detailed modelling is continuing to feed into the final design of the spillway.
The summer construction season is in full swing with steady progress being made on raising the stopbanks as part of the Rangitāiki Floodway Project.
Earthworks for Stage 6a involved raising the left stopbank of the floodway north of McLean Road. Fencing and grass reinstatement will see this stage completed by the end of March.
The summer construction season is in full swing with steady progress being made on raising the stopbanks as part of the Rangitāiki Floodway Project.
Earthworks for Stage 6a involved raising the left stopbank of the floodway north of McLean Road. Fencing and grass reinstatement will see this stage completed by the end of March.
Work continues on Stage 6b with the raising of the left stopbank from McLean Road to State Highway 2. This stage has a likely completion timeframe of May/June.
Preparation works on the opposite right stopbank (6c) started in early February, while the earthworks resource consent for this stage is still pending.
Two thirds of the work on raising the stopbank for Stage 7 (between Hydro Road and SH2) was completed last year with the final section to be finished by June.
Meanwhile, detailed modelling is continuing to feed into the final design of the spillway.
Bay of Plenty Regional Council has received funding from Central Government’s Crown Infrastructure Funding for the Rangitāiki Floodway and Spillway.
Toi Moana put the project up as a shovel ready project after Central Government announced it wanted to help with economic recovery after Covid 19.
The funding covers 75% of:
This was one of six projects Bay of Plenty Regional council received funding for. Find out about the other projects.
Thank you to those who were able to take part in the recent online consultation about the next stages of the Rangitāiki Floodway Project.
Thank you to those who were able to take part in the recent online consultation about the next stages of the Rangitāiki Floodway Project.
Now that COVID-19 alert levels have eased, Council is inviting anyone with an interest in the Rangitāiki Floodway to another opportunity to learn more, and tell us what you think, about Stage 6 and the preferred spillway design.
Some aspects of the these stages have changed, so this consultation will explain the reasons; the relating cost increases and the potential rating impacts.
If you live within the Rangitāiki-Tarawera catchment, it’s important to find out more, and have your say.
Rangitāiki Cosmopolitan Club, 9 Bridge St, Edgecumbe
13 June 2020 - 10.00am
Previously a ponding option downstream of Fonterra was being looked at to reduce the overall project costs. This option has now been abandoned.
This is because detailed design showed that this option was in fact going to be a more expensive option and the benefits were not as great as originally assessed.
Previously a ponding option downstream of Fonterra was being looked at to reduce the overall project costs. This option has now been abandoned.
This is because detailed design showed that this option was in fact going to be a more expensive option and the benefits were not as great as originally assessed.
Consequently the stopbank raising option is now the preferred option. The detailed design also showed that for all options the scale of work required had been under represented in previous modelling results.
Due to the above, Stage 7 of the Rangitāiki Floodway was brought forward to be completed before Stage 6.
The reason for this is that Stage 6 is a far more complex stage and more time was needed to complete the detailed design and geotechnical testing to inform the final design.
The final estimate for Stage 6 has now been produced and is shown in table 1 below:
|
Stage |
LTP Cost Estimate (000) |
Updated Estimate (000) |
Difference (000) |
|
6 |
$ 2,428 |
$ 10,915 |
$8,497 |
During 2018 consultation was undertaken within the local community on options for the spillway design. The proposed option was for a lower fixed crest weir with contingency radial gates and was generally supported at the culmination of the consultation on 24th November 2018.
The option that had been prepared prior to this consultation taking place in the Long Term Plan (LTP) was for a lower fixed crest weir with no contingency allowance.
Table 2 below shows the increase in cost for the Spillway.
|
Stage |
LTP Cost Estimate – Lower Fixed Crest Weir (000) |
Lower Fixed Crest Weir with contingency gates (000) |
|
Spillway |
$ 0.360 |
$ 2,800 |
Central Government announced that it wants to help with economic recovery once we are out of the Covid 19 restrictions. We have put the Rangitāiki Floodway project up as a “spade ready” project that Central Government could help fund. If successful, the increased costs outlined above could be off-set by the CIP funding.
Key links:
We’re about to begin Stage 7 of the Rangitāiki Floodway Upgrade Project – the section from Hydro Road to State Highway 2.
We’re about to begin Stage 7 of the Rangitāiki Floodway Upgrade Project – the section from Hydro Road to State Highway 2.
We’re doing this work to improve how water travels down the Rangitāiki Floodway (Reids Central Canal), which will in turn reduce the pressure on the Rangitāiki River stopbanks during large flood events. Construction works will begin in January 2020 and are expected to be completed in June 2020 but are weather dependant. We’ll keep you informed if these dates change or work goes longer than expected.
If you have further questions, please call 0800 884 880 to speak to a staff member about the project.
Stage 5 of the Rangitāiki Floodway Project has reached a significant milestone with bridge construction nearing completion on Thornton Hall Road near Whakatāne.
Stage 5 of the Rangitāiki Floodway Project has reached a significant milestone with bridge construction nearing completion on Thornton Hall Road near Whakatāne.
The Rangitāiki Floodway Project is being built in stages to take pressure off the flood-prone Rangitāiki River. The current work, which started in late February this year, has seen the construction of a bifurcation channel and the upgrading of Thornton Hall Road, including the new bridge.
Project Manager for Stage 5, Bay of Plenty Regional Council’s Civil Construction Engineer, Jordan Mandery says local residents will see a few final works in the area before the current stage is complete.
“Getting the bridge in place is a significant milestone. We have the bridge beams on, so now we can complete the abutments and bridge approach. We expect the subbase layers of the road construction to get underway shortly and be completed by the end of October. At that point we can divert traffic across the bridge and remove the final piece of land and open the bifurcation channel,” Mr Mandery explains.
Activity around Thornton Hall Road has bound together several other improvements including upgrading the powerlines in conjunction with Horizon Energy and working with Whakatāne District Council to widen the road.
At the same time, a wetland has been created in the area where Reid’s Central Canal will meet the Rangitaiki River. Regional Council’s Land Management team has overseen initial plantings, with more scheduled once the bifurcation is open.
“I’d like to thank the residents and motorists for their cooperation and patience while these critical works are undertaken. Please continue to be considerate and follow the direction of the temporary traffic management while driving past the site as it is important for the safety of our contractors.”
“We are also looking to raise the section of stopbank alongside Thornton Road which is set out in our Long Term Plan, but we’ve decided to bring that forward while we are working in the area, so people will see that work taking place in coming weeks,” Mr Mandery said.
Check out this short video of a recent drone flight over the completed Stage 4 works and the Stage 5 works currently in progress.
Check out this short video of a recent drone flight over the completed Stage 4 works and the Stage 5 works currently in progress.
Stage 5 involves creating a bifurcation cut to connect the Rangitāiki Floodway with the Rangitāiki River, as well as building a bridge over the new bifurcation and undertaking stopbank overlay works along Thornton Hall Road. A wetland is also being created to help encourage wildlife into the area. These works are expected to be completed in September 2019 and we hope you will share the journey with us as we post regular updates of the works progress.
The Bay of Plenty Regional Council will be undertaking a drone survey of sections of the Rangitāiki Floodway during the week of 13 – 17 May to provide council engineers with a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) which will feed into the design for Stage 7 of the Floodway Project.
The Bay of Plenty Regional Council will be undertaking a drone survey of sections of the Rangitāiki Floodway during the week of 13 – 17 May to provide council engineers with a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) which will feed into the design for Stage 7 of the Floodway Project.
The data being collected is high resolution aerial photography used for photogrammetric modelling purposes and will be used for internal purposes only. The survey will be carried out by Regional Council engineers who will be wearing Hi-Vis clothing and will be in a branded Bay of Plenty Regional Council vehicle. Please feel free to approach them on the day should you have any questions.
Initial site preparation works started on Monday 25 February on the Reid’s Canal bifurcation which is Stage 5 of the multi-stage Rangitāiki Floodway Upgrade Project commenced in 2011.
Initial site preparation works started on Monday 25 February on the Reid’s Canal bifurcation which is Stage 5 of the multi-stage Rangitāiki Floodway Upgrade Project commenced in 2011.
The purpose of this stage is to create a bifurcation cut from the left bank of Reid’s Central Canal across Thornton Hall Road to provide a second outlet into the Rangitaiki River and out through the river mouth. These works, which are expected to be completed within six months, also include road alignment works and a new bridge to carry Thornton Hall Road over the new canal outlet.
Following selection of the successful tenderer for the Rangitāiki Floodway Stage 5 works, a karakia ceremony was held at the Reid’s Canal bifurcation with the Rangitāiki River on Monday 18 February, 2019.
Following selection of the successful tenderer for the Rangitāiki Floodway Stage 5 works, a karakia ceremony was held at the Reid’s Canal bifurcation with the Rangitāiki River on Monday 18 February with representatives of Ngāi Taiwhakaea, the works contractor, the project’s archaeology advisor and the Bay of Plenty Regional Council in attendance.
Around 40 interested community members, representing a number of stakeholder groups, turned out on Saturday to hear an update on the consultation process for the upgrade of the Rangitāiki Spillway.
Around 40 interested community members, representing a number of stakeholder groups, turned out on Saturday to hear an update on the consultation process for the upgrade of the Rangitāiki Spillway.
The spillway – the mechanism to divert floodwater from the river into the Floodway - is planned for upgrade in 2020/21 and in recent months Council’s engineering team has been engaging with directly affected landowners and the wider community around the options for the spillway design.
Thank you to those people who have been involved in finding out about the options for the design of the Rangitāiki Floodway spillway and potential ponding areas.
Thank you to those people who have been involved in finding out about the options for the design of the Rangitāiki Floodway spillway and potential ponding areas.
On Saturday, 24 November, starting at 10am there will be a further information session at the Rangitāiki Cosmopolitan Club to inform interested parties about the preferred option that will be put to Council in December.
We will be asking those attending to give an indication of their level of support for the proposed option.
For further information, please email engineering@boprc.govt.nz
Drier spring weather has allowed the work to start again on Stage 4 of the Rangitāiki Floodway Upgrade Project after it was put on hold over winter.
Drier spring weather has allowed the work to start again on Stage 4 of the Rangitāiki Floodway Upgrade Project after it was put on hold over winter.
Meanwhile, consultation with affected landowners and the wider community over the design options to upgrade the spillway section of the Floodway is in its final stages before a recommendation is made to Council on the preferred option (lower fixed crest weir or inflatable rubber dam). The spillway is the structure that diverts floodwater from the Rangitāiki River into the floodway and its construction and associated stopbank widening will be the final stage of the project. Keep an eye on this page for publication of an information session planned for mid-November 2018.
As part of the consultation underway on the Rangitāiki Spillway, a site visit was held in Edgecumbe on 11 August this year, with over 30 people attending, including residents of property adjoining the floodway and interested members of the community.
As part of the consultation underway on the Rangitāiki Spillway, a site visit was held in Edgecumbe on 11 August this year, with over 30 people attending, including residents of property adjoining the floodway and interested members of the community.
Those who came along on the bus trip out to the spillway off Hydro Road appreciated the chance to see the current spillway up close and hear about the options available. Once the preferred option is confirmed by Regional Council, it will go through a consent process. Construction is anticipated to start in 2020. The spillway construction will mark the final stage in this multi-stage project.
There are no events scheduled for this project.