Three concrete floodwalls on the Rangitāiki River are being replaced to ensure they continue to help protect the community from flooding in the coming decades.
This project was prompted by the discovery of seepage (the slow escape of water through spongey earth) at three floodwall sites along the Rangitāiki River (Greig Road, Thornton School and College Road) and is part of Regional Council’s ongoing work to upgrade flood defences around the rohe.
Flood protection is the first line of defence when it comes to reducing the impact of significant flooding, which is why we now have nearly $400M of flood protection defences across the rohe, such as floodwalls and stopbanks.
Find out more about our flood protection efforts.
This project involves removing existing floodwalls along the Rangitāiki River and building new, upgraded flood defences.
The new defences are built by inserting sheet piles (big sections of sheet steel with interlocking edges) into the ground and covering them with an earth stopbank or concrete floodwall. This design will provide more effective seepage control below ground.
Once complete, these new flood defences will form part of a network of protection along the Rangitāiki River. This includes the Rangitāiki Floodway and Spillway and future stopbank work along the lower catchment.
In a flood event, these defences will work together to help protect communities along the awa, by managing the increased water levels and alleviating pressure off the stopbanks.
Crown Infrastructure Partners funding
Bay of Plenty Regional Council has received funding from Central Government’s Crown Infrastructure Funding for this project.
We submitted this project as ‘shovel ready’ (ready to build straightaway) after Central Government announced it wanted to assist with regional infrastructure programmes.
The funding covers 75% of the initial project cost and was one of six projects Bay of Plenty Regional Council received funding for.
The upgrade at Greig Road was completed in April 2021. The new earth stopbank has a sheet pile centre, which is designed to control seepage.
These works were completed in December 2021. Like the Grieg Road site, the new earth stopbank has a sheet pile centre, which is designed to control seepage.
This is the final stage of the Rangitāiki Floodwalls project and is expected to be finished by April / May 2023.
The construction process will involve the installation of a steel sheetpile wall into the stopbank. Once the sheetpile is installed, it will be encased in concrete and a pool-style fence will be installed on top of the wall, to enhance the look and provide security for neighbouring residents.
Hear Project Lead Mark Werpachowski discuss what’s happening with the floodwalls:
While construction is underway, the existing floodwall will remain and continue to provide the current level of flood protection. This will be deconstructed once the new wall is complete.
The construction area is from 87 – 109 College Road, along the Rangitāiki River walkway.
During the construction period, the Rangitāiki River walkway will be closed. Signage will be positioned at the walkway entrances opposite Edgecumbe College, next to 87 College Road and the end of Tanekaha St to let users know. We’ll keep in touch with the community about progress and the walkway’s reopening.
Edgecumbe residents may also hear some noise during construction. Construction will be restricted to regular working hours (approx. 7am to 5pm weekdays only) and ongoing monitoring will be done to assess the impacts.
We will work closely with the appointed contractor to ensure all resource consent conditions are met and impacts on the community are managed appropriately.
If you have any questions or concerns during the construction period, please direct them to engineering@boprc.govt.nz
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This is the final stage of the Rangitāiki River Floodwalls project, to upgrade the flood defences at key locations along the river, which will help protect the community from a flood in the coming decades.
Works to upgrade the floodwalls along College Road, Edgecumbe, are due to begin in November/December 2022.
This is the final stage of the Rangitāiki River Floodwalls project, to upgrade the flood defences at key locations along the river, which will help protect the community from a flood in the coming decades.
Construction will take place from 87 to 109 College Road, along the Rangitāiki River walkway. During construction period (approx. November / December 2022 through to April / May 2023), the walkway will be closed to users. Low-level construction noise may impact Edgecumbe residents during normal work hours (approx. 7am to 5pm weekdays).
Ongoing monitoring will be done to assess the impacts. We will work closely with the appointed contractor to ensure all resource consent conditions are met and impacts on the community are managed appropriately.
The final stage of the Rangitāiki River floodwalls project along College Road is underway, with the 10 affected landowners supporting proposed designs and completion of the work.
The College Road section is the third and final stage to replace and upgrade the floodwalls along the Rangitāiki River, following the 2017 Edgecumbe flooding event.
The final stage of the Rangitāiki River floodwalls project along College Road is underway, with the 10 affected landowners supporting proposed designs and completion of the work.
The College Road section is the third and final stage to replace and upgrade the floodwalls along the Rangitāiki River, following the 2017 Edgecumbe flooding event.
The proposed design for the College Road floodwalls includes the installation of a new steel sheetpile wall into the stopbank, which will replace the existing concrete floodwall and provide more effective seepage control below ground.
Once the sheetpile wall is installed, it will be encased in concrete and a pool-style fence will be installed on top of the wall. This will enhance the look of the wall and provide security for neighbouring residents.
As part of the work with affected landowners, Bay of Plenty Regional Council Toi Moana will undertake some general landscaping to leave the newly upgraded area looking tidy.
Project Team Leader Peter Hay says all the landowners have been great to work with.
“Open and ongoing communication with all parties has been at the heart of the project,” says Peter. “We’ve particularly appreciated the great cooperation and kind feedback we’ve received from landowners.”
Once the project has obtained resource consent, the works will go out for tender later this year. Works are scheduled to commence around November 2022 for a mid-2023 completion.
The Rangitāiki River floodwalls is part of the Regional Council’s flood protection work along the Rangitāiki River Scheme, which includes the Rangitāiki Floodway and Spillway development and future work along the lower catchment.
Flood protection, such as stopbanks and floodwalls, is the first line of defence when it comes to reducing the impact of significant flooding. These defences are important as the effects of a changing climate means there is an increased likelihood of more frequent heavy rain events and intense storms, alongside a rising sea level.
See the full details on Regional Council’s flood protection works along the scheme.
We’re two thirds of the way through the floodwall replacements with the Greig Road and East Bank Road walls now complete.
Watch this video to see all the progress we’ve made this year:
We are making good progress on replacing three concrete floodwalls on the Rangitāiki River to ensure they continue to help protect our communities from flooding in the coming decades.
We’ve now finished most of the work at the East Bank Road site near Thornton School after completing the Greig Road stopbank earlier in the year.
Conversations with affected landowners are continuing at the remaining site - 87-109 College Road - with work expected to begin in the new year.
Check out the progress we’ve made on upgrading this floodwall on the lower Rangitāiki River.
Work has started on replacing the floodwall on the Rangitāiki River near Thornton School.
The new flood defences are a combination of sheet piles (big sections of sheet steel that have interlocking edges that are driven into the ground) that are then covered by an earth stopbank.
Work has started on replacing the floodwall on the Rangitāiki River near Thornton School.
The new flood defences are a combination of sheet piles (big sections of sheet steel that have interlocking edges that are driven into the ground) that are then covered by an earth stopbank.
The upgrade is designed to control excessive seepage - that is the slow escape of water through porous material - which can undermine and collapse the stopbank during a flood event.
This is one of three floodwalls on the Rangitāiki River with funding assistance from central government’s Crown Infrastructure Funding project.
The upgrade of the Greig Road stopbank has been completed and at the College Road site we have had initial conversations with directly-affected landowners.
The upgrade of the Greig Road stopbank on the Rangitāiki River has been completed. The new earth stopbank with a sheet-pile centre is designed to control seepage.
The upgrade of the Greig Road stopbank on the Rangitāiki River has been completed.
The new earth stopbank with a sheet-pile centre is designed to control seepage - that is the slow escape of water through porous material which can undermine and collapse the stopbank and put people and properties at risk.
This site in numbers:
This is one of three floodwalls on the Rangitāiki River that Bay of Plenty Regional Council received money from Central Government’s Crown Infrastructure Funding project to help cover the cost of the work.
The Thornton School floodwall is expected to begin construction later this month, and at the College Road site final design is progressing and the first stage of talking with directly affected landowners has been completed.
The commencement of flood protection projects on the lower Rangitāiki has signalled the start of the 2020 construction season for the Bay of Plenty Regional Council engineering team.
The commencement of flood protection projects on the lower Rangitāiki has signalled the start of the 2020 construction season for the Bay of Plenty Regional Council engineering team.
Work is underway to replace a 300-metre section of flood wall on Greig Road, with Waiotahi Contractors making good progress on what is expected to be a four-month construction process. Investigations on the floodwall were carried out after the April 2017 flood which has led to the design of the new earth stopbank with a sheet-pile centre.
Engineering Team Leader Peter Hay says that during the construction period, that section of West Bank Road will be reduced to one lane controlled by a traffic light and Council and contractors thank road users for their continued patience.
“Designs are being finalised for the replacement of another section of Rangitāiki River floodwall on East Bank Road, near the Thornton School and work is progressing on concept designs to be shared with owners of properties adjoining the remaining flood walls on College Road, Edgecumbe,” Mr Hay adds.
There are no events scheduled for this project.