Lower Whanganui River Management & Flood Protection

Horizons Regional Council is to proceed in the 2008-09 financial year with the first stage of a river management and flood protection scheme for Wanganui.

The main part of the first stage will be flood protection works for the Balgownie area.

The Council received a large number of submissions on the Draft Whanganui River Management and Flood Protection Proposal and following deliberations, adopted on June 25 a significantly changed proposal to reflect the substantial matters raised through those submissions.

Some of the he key elements of the changed proposal are:

1. Flood protection works are to be designed to the 0.5% annual exceedance probability (200-year) standard.

2. Capital works are to be funded partly by rates and partly by borrowing, with loan repayments over a 30 year term.

3. A targeted rating system, with the following features, is to be implemented in 2008/09:

a. rating will be at a level sufficient to fund Stage 1 commitments only, including loan servicing costs;

b. the differential between the direct benefit rating categories W1 and W2 will be 100:50;

c. the W1 (floodable area) rate will only apply in respect of the Balgownie flood risk area, until it is decided to proceed with a further stage of capital work;

d. 33% of the total rate to be collected from the Indirect Benefit rating category will be collected, by way of a Uniform Annual Charge, from the rural portion of the Indirect Benefit area.

4. Capital works at Balgownie are planned to commence in 2008/09 and be completed in 2009/10.

Reasons for the Council’s decision

The present standard of flood protection provided to certain areas of Wanganui is below normally accepted standards.
A good level of support for an early start to protection of the Balgownie flood risk area, where the potential damage costs are particularly high, has been expressed through submissions, including that of Wanganui District Council.
The matter of affordability, as raised in a number of submissions, has been addressed to a significant extent by staging the proposed capital works and by extending the loan term. As a result, scheme rates in the first two years will be approximately half those initially proposed in the Statement of Proposal.
The concern expressed by a number of submitters in relation to protection of vegetation and general amenity values in the Anzac Parade/Kowhai Park area will be addressed by the further design, visual display work and consultation leading to a decision on a second stage of the scheme proposal through the 2009/2019 LTCCP process.
The concern expressed by submitters in respect of the proposed Taupo Quay component of the scheme have been recognized and can be addressed through a further consultation process leading to a decision on a third stage of the scheme proposal through the 2012/2022 LTCCP process.
The need to work in close collaboration with Wanganui District Council in respect of impacts on parks and walkways will be addressed through the further consultation and decision points facilitated by a staged approach to a river Management and Flood protection Scheme.
The decision recognises the importance to the wider Wanganui community of providing flood protection for Balgownie and Council now wishes to proceed with finalising a stopbank alignment, developing detailed designs, and preparing a resource consent application in respect of that component.

Council keen to work with community

The Council is keen to work closely with affected property owners and other stakeholders to ensure that we satisfy as many concerns and expectations as possible in progressing this next stage of the work. To that end we will be making contact with owners of those properties that are directly affected by the proposed works, over the next few weeks. We will also keep the wider Balgownie and Wanganui communities informed as the project progresses.

The Council’s objective is to submit an application for resource consents by the end of September and to award a contract for an initial stage of construction to commence early in 2009.

The shape of further consultation to be undertaken, initially in relation to the Anzac Parade and Putiki flood risk areas, will be the subject of a report to Council later this month. Horizons is committed to providing ample opportunity for all interested parties to make an input to the second and third stages of the flood protection proposal.

In general terms some material will be produced to help people visualise the effects on trees within Kowhai Park, on views of the river and on general amenity values. Horizons will also consult closely with Wanganui District Council in respect of their interest in parks and walkways in particular.

Full details of the consultation plan will be available shortly.

Scheme rates for 2008-09, all inclusive of GST, will be as follows:

Category
Scheme Rate

W1 (Areas at present risk of direct flooding) $14.24 per $100,000 CV

Note: Only the Balgownie area will pay this rate in 2008-09

W2 (Balance of Wanganui ‘City’ area) $7.12 per $100,000 CV

N1 (Urban Indirect Benefit) $2.40 per $100,000 CV

N2 (Rural Indirect Benefit) $14.46 UAC per property