Experience the Moutoa Floodgates at public open day

Horizons Regional Council invites the public to attend the ‘Moutoa Floodgates Experience’ on Saturday, 22 November, to get a behind-the-scenes look at the biggest piece of river management infrastructure in the Horizons Region.

Horizons river management team leader projects Diandri van Zyl says the Moutoa Floodgates Experience event will give Horowhenua communities the opportunity to get up close and personal with the gates and learn how they provide flood resilience to the district.
 
“The Moutoa Floodgates provide protection to communities living along the lower reaches of the Manawatū River. We’ve created this event to help these communities better understand the gates and learn about the recent upgrade work through a special up-close experience.
 
“Attendees will explore the Moutoa Floodgates through a range of stalls, including a talk inside the control tower by a trained gate operator, interactive activity tables, and guided walks into the gate spillway area to see the gates up close if weather permits.
 
“If you’ve ever been curious about the gates and want to learn more, this is the ultimate experience,” she says.
 
“To make it easy to attend, we’ll be running buses from Levin, Foxton and Shannon, with tickets for adults just $5, and under 14s free. Plus, you’ll get a free drink or ice block when you arrive!
 
“Bus seat bookings are essential, as there will be no public parking accessible during the event. To book your seat, visit our Eventfinda page at https://www.eventfinda.co.nz/2025/the-moutoa-floodgates-experience/horowhenua.
 
“This will be a unique opportunity to not only learn about the gates and the recent upgrade work, but actually be able to interact with the gates,” she says.
 
Horizons group manager catchment operations Dr Jon Roygard says the event will follow the recent upgrades to the Moutoa Floodgates, which were completed in July.
 
“We recently completed upgrade work on the gates, which was made possible thanks to funding from Kānoa – Regional Economic Development & Investment Unit.
 
“This funding allowed us to complete a range of upgrades, including replacing electrical lines and an automatic power switchover system, plus replacing mechanical components used to lift and lower each of the nine floodgates,” he says.
 
Book tickets for the Moutoa Floodgates Experience at https://www.eventfinda.co.nz/2025/the-moutoa-floodgates-experience/horowhenua

Image: The Moutoa Floodgates during Cyclone Gabrielle, 2023.