Port Waikato stormwater resilience project

Update to the silt / flooding on the deck at the Port Waikato store.

This will also be included in the Works and Issues report at the next Community Board Meeting.

During heavy rain events SW makes its way down a gully system above the store. That water should pass through a culvert under the road and discharge into the sea.

However, the road culvert inlet becomes blocked with debris and blocks the culvert, so the culvert inlet overtops and flows across the road and down into the store area.

 The culvert inlet is going to be upgraded to reduce the risk of that happening.

Also, a nib wall will be constructed beside the footpath above the store, to redirect any future overflows away from the store. The design of these structures has been completed, and the resource consent application was submitted a two weeks ago.

Once the consent is granted, the improvement works will commence. A contractor has already been secured to do the work.

Work is progressing well to enhance the flood protection in Port Waikato. The final touches are being made to the stormwater improvements, with several projects now complete. This infrastructure will help ensure the community is future-proofed, resilient and able to respond to heavy weather events.

Below is a breakdown of what was needed and what has been done.

Main Pump Station Upgrade
Expected Completion: 31/08/2025
What was needed?
Upgrading the existing stormwater pump station and outlet channel to improve capacity and stormwater resilience.
What's been done?
Vegetation has been cleared, and both the new and widened outlet channels are now complete. A new gravity pipeline and manholes near the main pump station have been installed, along with a new stormwater outlet. Civil works and planting along the main outlet drain have also been completed.

The stormwater discharge pipe from the Holiday Park to the new outlet at Maraetai Bay Road is now in place. Onsite, the installation of catchpits and stormwater pipes has been completed. Electrical and civil works to install the stormwater pumps are currently underway.

• Soil nails and erosion matting have been installed near the outlet. Stormwater tanks and strip drains have been placed around the Marae building, and the temporary access track has been removed.

We’re at the final stages with the stormwater projects funded by the government’s cyclone recovery fund and our teams are getting ready to be on site very soon. Here’s where we’re at: The upgrades have been divided into four categories and below are the latest updates on this work:

1. Upgrading the capacity of the stormwater main pump station, including a standby generator  
   • This work is in progress and will be completed by 31 August 2025
2. Drainage improvements to Ooraeroa marae to improve stormwater resilience
   • Civil works are close to being completed. Tree planting will start over the next few weeks to further add stormwater resilience and better manage runoff around the marae. All works are expected to be completed by mid-June.
3. Upgrades to the pump station system at the Holiday Park
   • This work will start once the works on the main stormwater pump are well-advanced, including pipe work from the Holiday Park to the main stormwater station. These works are still on track for completion by the end of August. 
4. Slip remediation works above Port Waikato general store
   • All civil works, fencing and tree planting are now complete

Stormwater work from the government’s cyclone recovery fund is progressing well with consents confirmed for two-thirds of the proposed work, and detailed design very nearly finalised. A detailed schedule and for construction works is underway.  

• Consenting for the slip remediation above the dairy is complete   
• Consenting for the Ooraeroa Marae works is completed  
• Consenting for the main pump station and outlet works has been lodged and the procurement process for the pumps has started 
• Final detailed design work is being done now, and we are currently negotiating with contractors  
• We still have further consultation to complete with the holiday park regarding the detailed layout of the pump station 
• We’ve finalised the orders for all the vegetation, and plan to start planting in late April. 

We are close to getting started on two projects with the consent application lodged for both the slip remedial works and the open channel works at Ooraeroa Marae. The formal consent for the main pump station and outlet is due to be submitted during October.

With regard to the slip works about the Port store, we hope to be able to complete the formal agreement for the slip remediation with Sunset Farms shortly.

Our thanks go to the landowner next to Ooraeroa Marae who has given permission for the planting works needed, as well as allowing us to access the drain from their side during construction.

The design for the main pump station and outlet is progressing well and we will be confirming the pump order in December.

We are in the process of securing all the vegetation needed for planting, which will happen during May for all projects.

Next step is to progress the holiday park area stormwater pump station design (with no Regional consent required).

Thank you to those who attended our latest community update on works funded by the government’s Stormwater Resilience Fund.  The main points were:  

• The main pump station upgrade is the main priority.  Once the costs are finalised we can confirm which other priority projects will also proceed.  
• The consent for the Ooraeroa Marae works will be submitted this week shortly followed by the main pump station upgrade. 
• Negotiations with Sunset Farms are progressing well.   
• Further modelling work identified that drain widening delivered minimal benefits, therefore this work will not proceed. 
• Time is a critical factor for the funding, with all works needing to be completed by end of June 2025. 

Maintenance issues unfortunately are not covered by this particular fund, but a number of questions were raised at the meeting about ongoing maintenance work to the Port Waikato stormwater network. We’re working on the best way to provide regular updates on the maintenance schedule and give greater clarity, so look out for that in our next update.  

Our waters team has been meeting with residents over recent months to discuss plans for upcoming improvement of the stormwater network, to work through where the $2.35m central government funding for upgrades should be prioritised.

A community meeting to discuss Port Waikato stormwater will be held on Saturday 14 September, 12pm to 2pm at the Sunset Beach Community Hub.