The Rangitīkei River has changed significantly over time. This started with clearing the banks for farming and planting of exotic vegetation. More recently, hard engineering was used to control river alignment, protecting infrastructure and productive land.
These images, captured from the 1940s until 2021, show how the Rangitīkei River has been changed over time.
The Rangitīkei River Climate Resilience Project focuses on creating a more economically and environmentally resilient approach to river management downstream of the Bulls Bridge. The overall aim is to give the awa more room to move by widening its corridor, increasing its capacity to absorb larger flood events and allow for natural dynamic changes.
This approach to river management, called ‘a mobility corridor’ or ‘room for the river’, defines a corridor in the river flood plain where engineered solutions are not the only way to control erosion or river flow. This recognises a health river is highly dynamic, continuously adjusting its path and changing due to various circumstances. For the Rangitīkei River, our intention is to create a mobility corridor which will enable the river to flow more naturally and, when it is in flood, disperse water across a wider area. This will provide protection to the stopbank network and other infrastructure.
The mobility corridor lines on this image give an indication of the outer range of the Rangitīkei River. The lines are positioned to take advantage of, and reflect, natural geological features and controls (e.g. hard mudstones) as well as private land and existing infrastructure (e.g. stopbanks).
Some of this work involves putting some Horizons leased land back into native vegetation to protect the stopbank. Some of this work also has benefits beyond climate resilience against flood events. The native planting and wetland creation will enhance the ecological value of the river environment and improve water quality There have also been wider social benefits. The work has provided employment and training opportunities to local businesses and iwi, while we have also created new amenity for communities. For example, upgrades have been completed to the Scotts Ferry access pathway.
There have also been wider social benefits. The work has provided employment and training opportunities to local businesses and iwi, while we have also created new amenity for communities. For example, upgrades have been completed to the Scotts Ferry access pathway.