The rebuild of 1.2km of stop bank behind the township of Spring Creek is the largest river protection project undertaken in Marlborough since The Diversion was constructed more than sixty years ago.
Work has not stopped on the project since it began in November last year, which has created greater certainty around its completion by June 2027.
Marlborough Mayor Nadine Taylor said the project was the single-biggest flood protection infrastructure investment for Council at present.
“The repair and upgrade of the Peninsula Road stop bank is a critical flood protection investment.
“It is particularly important for the residents and businesses of Spring Creek but also for surrounding national infrastructure including State Highway 1 and the Main North Line rail corridor.
“Completion of the project will strengthen flood protection and improve the community’s resilience to future floods and the risks associated with climate change,” Mayor Taylor said.
The project has not been without its challenges including maintaining consistent and suitable rock supply which has been more difficult than initially expected.
Most of the rock placed so far, around 160,000 tonnes, has come from nearby Pukaka Quarry with Barracks Quarry from the other side of Blenheim supplying some of the material in the initial stages.
“Council’s ownership of Pukaka has meant savings for this project overall rather than having to source all the material from commercial quarries.
“The delivery parties involved in the project have been instrumental in the success of this project to date, overcoming the challenges with exceptional support from the local community and iwi.
“Before any work started, Taylors Contracting built a new Peninsula Road behind the existing stop bank to maintain continued access for residents and to avoid construction-related plant and materials from moving through the township,” Mayor Taylor said.
All the in-river rock protection is now complete along with part of the lower bench, which will provide a buffer to the new stop bank. Much of the work to date has been below water and protects the riverbank while the forthcoming work will all be above water.
“Replacement of the stop bank itself has commenced at the end of Peninsula Road and this is being undertaken in sections to maintain the existing level of protection from weather events.
“That approach will continue until the whole stop bank has been re-constructed and will give the residents of Spring Creek a level of comfort,” Mayor Taylor said.
The finished stop bank will stand between 1.3 and 1.7 metres higher than the original.
Spring Creek residents are invited to attend an update about the project’s progress at the next public meeting on 11 November from 7pm to 8pm at the community hall.
The repair and resilience work is funded by Council and Government's Regional Infrastructure Fund (RIF), which is administered by Kānoa – Regional Economic Development & Investment Unit.
This work is required due to ground movement from the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake which left deep-seated cracking in the stop bank as well as scouring from the river caused by subsequent weather events.
