$100 million of work for Fletcher Construction

This follows on less than a day after our item Report on the Hutt River - early December, 2015 from yesterday

The ecologists and people with common sense were ignored. The people who had the council's ear were the engineers, contractors and developers


Fletchers just got another $100m of work

Hutt River flood protection plan to go ahead, ratepayers to stump up $143m

About 75 properties along Pharazyn and Marsden streets in Lower Hutt face being bought up to allow a new stopbank to be built between the Melling and Ewen bridges

Stuff,

9 December, 2015

Seventy-five properties will be bulldozed and ratepayers will have to cough up $143 million after flood protection plans for the Hutt Valley were given the greenlight.

Greater Wellington Regional councillors voted unanimously at a meeting on Wednesday morning to future-proof Lower Hutt town centre from a 1-in-440-year flood. 

But affected residents will not need to call the movers just yet, because construction is not set to begin for five years.

Works to improve flood protection along the Hutt River will require the purchase of 75 properties, including homes and businesses. The area in yellow shows where the affected properties are.

The region was crippled in May when floods and slips closed roads in and out of Wellington and the Hutt Valley.

Many Lower Hutt roads near the river were flooded to knee height and the riverbank car park was closed. 

In July, the council said it wanted to strengthen the stopbanks lining the river, meaning property owners would have to be bought out.

SUPPLIED

The Hutt River in flood in 2005, a 1-in-25-year event. The council wants to increase protection to prevent major damage from a 1-in-440-year event.

On Wednesday, the council agreed to proceed with the strengthening option that was preferred by the community and council officers.

The plan involves widening the river channel and building up the stopbanks, to future-proof the city against a one in 440-year flood.

Click here to see a map of where floodwaters could go in a 1-in-440 year event without the flood protection works.

It will cost $143 million and require 75 properties in Pharazyn and Marsden streets to be bought and demolished.

Councillor Sandra Greig said the community had told the council that they wanted progress on the project, as well as certainty around the decisions to purchase property.

"We believe [the decision] reflects what it wants, and we've heard the call for us to get on and provide the level of flood protection that's needed in this stretch of the river."

* Residents in shock over plan to take homes for stopbank
* Lower Hutt downpour a one in 100-year event* Wellington cut off as flooding paralyses region
* Wellington flood, Mt Maunganui tornado insurance claims rush in

The regional council would now contact key stakeholders, including property owners and all the submitters to the proposal.

It would also work up a preliminary design and finalise costings and a timetable. 

A land strategy would outline the process for the discussions with affected landowners, the amount of land required, and when construction would start.

There were plans in place if landowners wished to sell land earlier in the process.

No construction was expected for at least five years, Greig said.

Mary Rangi, who owns one of the affected properties, said last week that she and her husband had accepted the plan was going to happen, but it would be hard to leave their home of 16 years.

"It's not something you would want to have happen, but the reality is you have to deal with it, " she said.

After seeing the river rise over the years, Rangi said the council had no option but to strengthen the riverbank.

"I'm not surprised at all, not given the climate change we have had. Common sense tells you the river channel is too narrow near the CBD."

The other option, which was rejected, was a staged approach costing $184m, of which $114m would be spent initially, and the rest of the balance incrementally over the next 20 to 30 years.

None of this makes reference to drought and water shortages that are guaranteed to get worse with an el-Nino fuelled by abrupt climate change. The floods are also part of the menu. 

All of this is guaranteed to happen long before the sea level rises they're scared of.

The Hutt river today - 8 days into summer