Upper Ruamāhanga River

Following Budget 2024, Greater Wellington and MBIE’s Regional Economic Development and Investment Unit, Kānoa, have agreed to co-fund 16 flood resilience projects as part of a nationwide initiative. The programme spans 16 sites across Wairarapa and Ōtaki and are critical in future proofing community, infrastructure, cultural taonga and the economy, following a major flooding event. Find out more.

River Road Works

We have constructed protection measures in the form of rock revetments (sloped walls) where the Waipoua and Ruamāhanga Rivers meet, this changes the flow of the river to protect neighbouring houses.  The work continues a further 800m along the Ruamāhanga river.  Planting above the rock structures will commence this summer, creating additional nature-based support for the structures, and added protection for the community.

SH2, Waipoua River Bridge

A 45-metre rock revetment is being built under the Waipoua River Bridge at a shallow depth to control erosion.  In addition, there is planting planned to replace the lost vegetation and to reinforce the stability of the rock structure.

Waipoua Industrial Site – Akura Road

Six rock groynes are being built along the bend in the Waipoua River, with fast-growing willow being planted to support the structures, adjusting the flow of the river and reducing erosion, protectilocal infrastructure.

Hood Aerodrome

The Waingawa River flows past the end of the runway at the Hood aerodrome, which has flooding history.  There are ongoing planting efforts along the river buffer area.  However, only low-lying shrubs are planted here due to height restrictions for flight visibility requirements.

There is also an 80-metre rock revetment planned for the marked area to increase flood resilience.

South Masterton Stopbank Upgrade

The Waingawa River is fast flowing and the banks erode quickly.  Work is underway at the marked site to create a fence like structure.  Untreated poles have been driven into the steep riverbank, then decomposing string is hung between the poles and fast growing willows are inserted into the structure, which will take hold and provide resilience for the bank.

Major Rivers Riparian Management Project

The Major Rivers Riparian Management Project will plant approximately 100 hectares and fence 30km of riparian (riverside) land in the Wairarapa Valley. This will help to reduce erosion, improve water quality, and help plant and native animal life thrive. 

It’ll also create local jobs to:

• Help grow and plant over 150,000 seedlings
• Maintain planted areas for up to five years to ensure plants thrive
• Build or repair fencing.

This programme is funded equally by the Ministry for the Environment, through its Job for Nature programme, and Greater Wellington. It runs until 30 June 2026.  

Interested and want to find out more? Contact Riparian Management Advisor Malcolm Birch at malcolm.birch@gw.govt.nz for a no-obligation advice about what this programme offers. 

Major Rivers Riparian Management Project

Eastern Rivers Crack Willow Removal Project – Complete, September 2024

214 blockages from the Kopuaranga and Wareama Rivers were cleared, which is approximately 66km of river channel.  Removing over 1100 trees which were mulched, with native logs being preserved and gifted to mana whenua. 

A floodplain management plan has been developed for the catchment, Te Kāuru Upper Ruamāhanga Floodplain Management Plan. The process of developing the FMP started in 2012 and was then led by the Te Kāuru Upper Ruamāhanga Floodplain Management Subcommittee, which was established in 2014.The plan represents many years of investigating the most appropriate, comprehensive and long-term approach for managing the flood and erosion risks to both rural and urban land within the Te Kāuru Upper Ruamāhanga catchment.

Te Kāuru Upper Ruamāhanga Floodplain Management Plan

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date_range Published 01 Dec 2019

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The catchment has a long history of flooding.  Ever since human settlement began in the Wairarapa there has been a need for people to protect themselves and their property from the threat of flooding. This need grew greatly with increasing European settlement and more intensive land-uses, which has meant that protection from the harmful effects of the river has become a necessity.

During the 1930s settlers suffered damage and loss when the Ruamāhanga River overflowed its banks, washing shingle onto valuable pastures. The bed of the river had become badly choked with willows, restricting flood flows, and the channel was inadequate and of irregular alignment.

A river control scheme was implemented in 1953 and during the next 20 years achieved success in bank edge protection, river alignment and reduced the incidence of flooding along many sections of the river.

While our river management schemes continue to reduce the effects of flooding, climate change and ongoing significant weather events, mean ongoing maintenance and improvements.

Flooding in Ruamāhanga in 2002

During the COVID-19 alert levels, we worked to obtain funding from the government’s COVID-19 economic stimulus package. This includes funding of shovel ready projects through the Infrastructure Reference Group (IRG), the Ministry for the Environment (MfE), and other agencies. 

MfE Funding – Major Rivers – Riparian Management

A total of 17 funding applications were put forward to the MfE for a variety of environmental activities. The MfE selected two of these applications:

• Wairarapa Moana Wetlands Project
• Major Rivers – Riparian Management

The Major Rivers – Riparian Management application to the MfE was based on the Te Kāuru Upper Ruamāhanga Floodplain Management Plan, specifically the riparian planting and fencing buffers.

This project will be spread over five years and cost $5 million. It aims to create 35 jobs with 120,000 trees (both willows and natives) to be planted over 100 hectares, with 30 kilometres of fencing. One of the main objectives will be to ensure healthy plant survival rates through pest animal and pest plant control.

Connecting with community and iwi groups is crucial to the success of the project, and we encourage anyone who has an interest in riparian planting to get in touch.

PDU/CIP Funding – River Road, Masterton

During the government’s COVID-19 alert levels 4 and 3, the Flood Protection department submitted applications to the Provisional Development Unit (PDU) for shovel-ready projects. The Provisional Development Unit is now called Kānoa - Regional Economic Development & Investment Unit. 

The successful application was for a number of Hutt Valley erosion edge protection sites, RiverLink (Lower Hutt) river works and Ruamāhanga River scheme River Road, Masterton edge protection works.

The proposed work for the River Road site is based on the Te Kāuru FMP major project response, with an extension of river-edge protection from River Road to (and including) the Masterton District Council’s closed landfill. The River Road projects will cost $2 million over two years, with Kānoa contributing 64% and we will provide the balance 36%.

We have signed agreements with our iwi partners to co-design and work together on this project. We are working on the geotechnical and initial design details.