Go-ahead given to raise river stopbank

A decision to increase the height of the stopbank of the Wairau River to prevent flooding at a cost of $30,000 has been approved by the Marlborough District Council.

Two sections of the 30-kilometre gravel Wairau River bank between Tuamarina and Waihopai will be upgraded after a council report showed they were not high enough.

Marlborough District Council rivers and drainage engineer Brin Williman said the report used computer modelling and showed that the banks were "by and large quite good".

Nearly all parts were up to standard, at 2.5-metres high.

However, a 500m stretch between Giffords Rd and Jeffries Rd (between Kaituna and Rapaura), and an 800m stretch (between Kaituna and Waihopai Valley) were lower than required, by about 50 centimetres.

Mr Williman said overall he was impressed with the quality of the riverbanks, considering rivers were always changing.

Controlled gravel extraction to improve the river flow contributed to this, he said.

Work is expected to start within two weeks.

- The Marlborough Express

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