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The Big Stormwater Story

Join Central Hawke’s Bay’s big conversation and secure the future of our community’s stormwater network and healthy waterways.

In our Long Term Plan 2021–2031, we identified the need for significant investment in the district’s stormwater infrastructure to meet changing legislative standards and sustain growth and development in the region, as well as the impacts of future severe weather events and climate change. Following initial consultation with stormwater focus groups following Cyclone Gabrielle in February 2023, the project team has been busy carrying out maintenance works, investigating blockages and performance issues, and preparing short and long-term workplans.

Three Year Plan 2024–2027

On Thursday 13 June 2024, the Council adopted the central option for the Three-Year Plan, accepting the proposed $857,000 of external funding allocated to the stormwater activity. As a result of this decision, urban residents will see a marked increase in the amount of Council maintenance work carried out on open drains throughout the district as we bolster the maintenance programme to meet community expectations and national levels of service.

This new investment across the district will enable:

  • two-yearly vegetation clearance on major open drain channels.
  • five-yearly bed excavation to remove vegetation overgrowth and sedimentation.
  • ten percent of the piped stormwater network flushed or inspected each year.
  • Council to develop an overarching strategy for how the district's stormwater activity is managed in the future.
  • the development of a hydraulic model for Takapau and updates to Waipukurau, Waipawa and Otāne models.

Strategic Development 

In response to the multiple stormwater challenges we are facing, we are developing a stormwater strategy that will provide an overarching plan for how stormwater is managed throughout the district. This will involve collaboration and engagement with community stakeholders regarding decision-making, investment and policy, so you can expect to hear from us as it develops.

To allow our short-term projects to progress, the strategy will be separated into two phases:

Stormwater stratgey graphic

PHASE 1 (COMPLETED as of January 2024) focused on cyclone recovery, asset management and community impacts, and enabled maintenance works and immediate project results. It included technical engagement on direction, prioritisation and methodology of works, and set the direction for Phase 2.

PHASE 2 (UNDERWAY as of February 2024) will take an holistic approach to stormwater, building on local and national-level guidance to create a true strategic direction. It will include engagement, collaboration and co-development on long-term strategic objectives for stormwater in Central Hawke’s Bay.

Programme of Works, July 2024–July 2025

work programme Aug8

 

Council's programme of stormwater maintenance work has to date targeted the largest and most impactful drains in the district. Now that all of these major receiving drains have been addressed and remediated in Waipawa and Waipukurau, our team has moved its focus to carrying out corrective maintenance on the network's smaller tributaries and upstream reaches. Part of this work has included clearing and remediating the open drains servicing Shanly Street and Watts Street ahead of anticipated winter rainfall, with the aim to significantly reduce the risk of flooding in these areas. To date, we have successfully cleared 5.2 kilometres of open drains across the district's stormwater network.

Stormwater 21 June

 

What a difference our crews have made clearing Kiripara Stream! Work on the previously overgrown waterway is now complete, resulting in improved drainage and better water flow from the Waipukurau Industrial Area into the stream. The stormwater team is now working with Hawke’s Bay Regional Council to address the stream outlet into the Tukituki River.

Council has been working with the Lake Whatumā Management Group to monitor the impacts of the clearing works on the Kiripara Stream’s natural environment, particularly those associated with te Mana o te Wai and with the local freshwater and terrestrial ecology. We look forward to working through the resulting recommendations to inform our methodology.

Before1After 1

 

UPDATE ON MAINTENANCE WORKS SINCE CYCLONE GABRIELLE:  
  • We have now cleared a total of 4.8 kms of open drains as well as performed 2 kms of pipe flushing and addressed various blockages.
  • Work has begun on the Kiripara Stream in the Waipukurau industrial area, following a blessing of the site on Friday 26 January.  

Stormwater drain clearing progress graph


 

FUTURE MAINTENANCE WORK PLANNED:
  • Contractors will complete work on the Kiripara Stream to improve drainage for the Waipukurau industrial area, including James, Harris and Coughlin streets.
  • Council is proposing to allocate additional funding towards stormwater maintenance within the LTP. This will allow us to address other routes servicing Watts Street, Shanly Street, Great North Road, Tutanekai Street and Takapau Road, and to perform routine maintenance on channels that have been cleared.
WHAT ELSE ARE WE DOING?
  • Holt Place Reserve: We are working closely with our Parks and Open Spaces team to stop the run-off onto downstream properties affecting Holt Place Reserve.
  • Kiripara Stream cultural monitoring: To increase the connection between stormwater activity and our cultural partners, we are undertaking cultural monitoring on the Kiripara Stream maintenance works. This monitoring aims to gather recommendations for better outcomes and will pave the way for ecological restoration of the stream.

MAINTENANCE WORKS SINCE CYCLONE GABRIELLE:
  • We have cleared 4 kilometres of open drains, including such major channels as Bush Drain and the Victoria Street in Waipawa, and we have completed minor works in both Waipawa and Waipukurau on Svenson Road, Pah Flat, Coronation Park, Shanly Street, Harker Street, Woburn Street and Campbell Street.
  • We have completed 2 kms of piped network jetting and CCTV investigation in Montgomery Street, Svenson Road, Cook Street, Abbott Avenue, St Joseph’s Street and Tavistock Road, Watts Street and James Street.
  • Work has begun on the Eastern Interceptor (pictured below)/Belgrove Drive drain. Once completed, contractors will begin work on the Pah Flat Stream and Harris Street industrial area in Waipukurau.

Eastern Interceptor Waipukurau

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FUTURE MAINTENANCE WORK PLANNED:
  • Towards the end of the year, work on the high-priority remediation of the Duck Creek channel that connects from Central Hawke's Bay College to Mount Herbert Road in Waipukurau will begin.
  • In the new year, Council aims to address other routes servicing Abbott Avenue, Shanly Street, Brodie Place, Campbell Street and Takapau Road, including minor works on Watts Street and Great North Road.
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