Preparatory work will start this side of Christmas on a project to improve the flood carrying capacity of the Taylor River near Blenheim’s town centre.
Dredging of a 150m stretch of the river between the Alfred Street bridge and the SH1/rail bridge begins on 5 January with tidy-up works to be completed by March.
Council will be prepping the work site from 19 December which includes removal of the Crinoline Bridge footbridge with full-scale dredging works planned to start after the festive break.
Rivers and Drainage Engineering Manager Andy White said the dredging was required to remove a build-up of sediment in the river caused by several weather events. This would create more flood capacity as part of Blenheim’s flood control system, he said.
“Dredging of the Taylor River was approved in Council’s Long Term Plan with priority given to the section downstream of the road/rail bridge to ensure the flood carrying capacity of the river. This has been done in two phases with the first phase completed ahead of the June 2025 weather event.
“This work played a significant role in the safe conveyance of floodwaters through the town during that event. We are now poised to continue the project between the Alfred Street bridge and the road/rail bridge,” Mr White said.
Following the dredging, Council’s Parks and Open Spaces will start redecking the boardwalk on both sides of the river from the south side of the road/road bridge to The Quays and from Alfred Street to the canoe ramp by the Boathouse Theatre.
Council’s weedcutting programme will also continue. Three weedcuts are done every year in the Taylor River/Lower Ōpaoa mainly throughout the warmer period. The November weedcut has just been completed and the next one scheduled is January which will focus downstream of the dredging area.
Council needs to do the dredging work in January due to the requirements of the Marlborough Environment Plan, suitable weather and low river levels.
A purpose-built amphibious excavator will be craned on to the site for the first time, and this will operate within the river channel, loading silt into small trucks on the northern side. Gill Construction is the contractor carrying out the works.
Mr White said the machine’s innovative design enables it to float in shallow waters while maintaining stability, allowing it to operate in delicate ecosystems with minimal disruption.
“These machines are used in river works around the world and are particularly suited to the Taylor and Ōpaoa river systems.
“To have this capability locally with our Rivers’ heavy maintenance contractor is a huge advantage for Council moving forward. Gill Construction has invested in this equipment but Council’s Rivers department has committed to its use over the remainder of the rivers’ maintenance contract.
“We are expecting the excavator to remove around 2-3000 cubic metres of material. For safety reasons, the entire work area will be fenced off and closed to public access during the project,” Mr White said.
The Taylor River Shared Users Path will be closed on both sides of the dredging area. The area to the north side as far as the Ōpaoa Loop Confluence by the Boathouse Theatre will also be closed for the stockpiling of silts and once dry these will be removed.
“For the public’s safety, we ask that they keep out of the areas identified and use alternative routes.
“The public will still be able to walk across the road/rail bridge, the Alfred Street footbridge and road bridge however the pedestrian bridge near Raupo Café will be removed for the duration of the works from 19 December and put back in place once the dredging is finished,” Mr White said.
The area upstream of the road/rail bridge is expected to reopen by the start of February while tidy-up works on the downstream stockpile area should be completed by March 2026.
