Follow us on Twitter - Opens in a new window. Join Us on Facebook - Opens in a new window. Follow us on LinkedIn - Opens in a new window. Share this page
NRC Logo
Northland Regional Council large logo Northland Regional Council small logo
  • Home
  • Your Council
    • The Chairman's Report
    • About us
    • Economic development
    • Work for us
    • Working with us
    • Contact us
    • Council & committee meeting dates
    • Online maps
    • Council projects
    • Have your say
    • Working with Māori
    • Your rates
    • Funding and awards
    • Volunteer
    • Pay online
    • Subscriptions
    • eNewsletters
    • Public notices
  • Living in Northland
    • About our region
    • True North
    • Getting around
    • On the water
    • At the beach
    • Discover Northland
    • Take action
    • Your district councils
  • Consents
    • Do I need resource consent?
    • Consent application process
    • Dams, safety requirements and building consents
    • Consent forms and fees
    • Consent conditions
    • Consent compliance
    • Notified resource consents
    • Resource consent hearings documents
    • Consent decisions
  • For Schools
    • Beach clean-ups - Seaweek 2018
    • Awards and funding
    • Competition winners - Seaweek 2017
    • Education news
    • Enviroschools
    • Green dates
    • Northland’s environment
    • Northland's Coast and Us
    • School information packs
    • Useful websites
  • Environment
    • Rules
    • LAWA
    • River and rainfall data
    • Hydrology climate report
    • Webcams
    • Weed and pest control
    • Land
    • Forestry
    • Coast
    • Environmental Hotline
    • Farm Management
    • Water
    • River Management
    • Waste and pollution
    • Air
    • Funding and awards
    • Eye on the environment
  • Civil Defence
    • Tsunami evacuation zones
    • In an emergency
    • How to get ready
    • Community Response Plans
    • Civil Defence in Northland
    • Education and events
    • History of events in Northland
    • Who to contact
    • eNewsletter - Northland Civil Defence
  • Transport
    • Carpooling
    • Getting around
    • Registration of Passenger Transport Services
    • 30 Year Transport Strategy for Northland
    • Total mobility
    • Road safety
    • Drones - rules for use in Northland
    • Our role
    • Useful websites
  • Maritime
    • Our role
    • Navigation Safety Bylaw
    • Our marine environment
    • Maritime forms and fees
    • Moorings
    • Safe boating
    • Coast Publications
    • Boat ramps
    • Harbourmaster's directions
    • Ski access lane maps
    • Hydrographic survey data
    • Cruise ship & harbour events calendar
In this section
The Chairman's Report
  • The Chairman's Report 2017
  • The Chairman's Report 2016
  • The Chairman's Report 2018
About us
  • What we do
  • Objectives, outcomes, values and areas of focus
  • Our customer promise
  • Your Councillors
  • Council and Committees
  • Local elections 2016
  • Te Hiku By-Election 2015
  • 2013 - Electoral donations and expenses returns
  • Annual residents' survey
  • Tenders
  • Official information requests
  • Key documents
  • Media assistance
  • Download our logo
Economic development
  • Northland Inc
  • Investment and Growth Reserve
  • Northland economic data and information
  • Action and Alliance
Work for us
  • Job vacancies
  • Working @ NRC
  • Application guidelines
  • Interview guidelines
Working with us
Contact us
Council & committee meeting dates
Online maps
Council projects
  • Long Term Plan 2018-2028
  • New Regional Plan
  • Dune Lakes Project
  • Coastal Hazard Maps for Northland
  • Waiora Northland Water
  • New Regional Policy Statement
  • Northland councils - working together
  • Priority Rivers
Have your say
  • Proposed Regional Plan
  • Proposed change to the Navigation Safety Bylaw for Kai Iwi Lakes
  • Regional Land Transport Plan Review
  • Notified resource consents
Working with Māori
  • Te Kotahitanga - Working in partnership
  • Panui - Ngā karere o Tai Tokerau
  • Nga Whakamahere o Te Taiao - Iwi / Hapū Management Plans
  • Nga Iwi O Te Tai Tokerau - Iwi in Northland
  • Rauemi - Resources
Your rates
Funding and awards
  • Environment Fund
  • Ballance Farm Environment Awards
  • Dairy Industry Awards
  • Sustainable Business Award
  • For schools
  • Te Taitokerau Maori Business Awards
Volunteer
Pay online
Subscriptions
eNewsletters
Public notices
  • Council notices
  • Resource consent application notices
  • Tenders notices
  1. Home
  2. Your Council
  3. Council projects
  4. Priority Rivers
  5. Project Overview

Project Overview

What is the Priority Rivers Flood Risk Reduction Project?

This project involves the 26 river catchments around Northland identified as priorities for flood risk planning. (Originally there were 27 catchments – two of these catchments have since been merged into one.)

The rivers and streams in these priority catchments pose potential threats to lives, buildings, road access, infrastructure and agriculture. Our role is to work with communities and help reduce these risks where practical.

What does the project involve?

We need to better understand the river systems involved, including how flooding affects them physically and also their impacts on local communities.

To do this we have:

  • Worked with affected communities to prioritise and develop plans to reduce flood risks
  • Undertaken detailed surveys of the land in catchments to help develop computer flood models
  • Produced flood hazard maps (these show which areas are likely to flood and what could be threatened as a result, for instance schools, marae etc)
  • Assessed the likely consequences for a community if it is flooded and analysed options to reduce any resulting danger/threats
  • Produced river management reports and flood risk reduction plans that collate the information on flood risk and management.

Which rivers are included?

The 26 priority rivers or groups of streams being assessed are (in alphabetical, not priority order):
Note that there were originally 27 priority catchments identified, but the Waima and Punakitere catchments are now being treated as one catchment.

  • Awanui
  • Awapokonui (Pakanae)
  • Awaroa-Rotokakahi and Pawarenga Streams
  • Hātea
  • Helena Bay River
  • Kaeo
  • Kaihū
  • Kerikeri-Waipapa
  • Matangirau
  • Ngunguru
  • Otaika
  • Panguru / Waihou
  • Pupuke
  • Ruakaka
  • Taumarere (Kawakawa)
  • Taupō River
  • Tauranga River
  • Waiarohia-Raumanga
  • Waihou (Rahiri-Rangiahua)
  • Waima & Punakitere-Otaua
  • Waimamaku
  • Wairau (Maungaturoto)
  • Waitangi
  • Whangārei Heads Streams
  • Whangaroa Streams (Totara North, Te Ngaere, Wainui & Mahineapua)
  • Whirinaki

 

Location map of Priority Rivers.Location map of Priority Rivers.

How long will the project take?

River management reports and river management plans have now been completed. The project is ongoing and our focus has now moved towards implementation of river management plans, including the further investigation, refinement, design and implementation of actions to reduce flood risk.

As of October 2013, 24 of the 26 catchments identified have had flood maps generated, which are now publicly available. The highest risk catchments amongst this group have been identified for progressing flood scheme works. These include: Waiarohia-Raumanaga catchment, Kerikeri-Waipapa, Kaeo and Awanui (Kaitāia)

The development and/or implementation of the actions identified in the plans will be undertaken on a priority basis.

How will the community be involved?

Initially, we worked with affected communities and stakeholders to build on what we already know about the size of floods and who they affect. We asked the community to tell us about the places/things they were especially keen to protect in their local area. We also presented the initial river management reports, flood maps and river management plans to communities through a series of meetings held in the areas of interest.

In addition to this we also work closely with River Management Liaison Committees in a smaller number of catchments that help the council to plan and prioritise actions to reduce flood risk. These committees include Awanui, Kerikeri-Waipapa, Urban Whangārei, Kaihu, Kaeo-Whangaroa, Waitangi and Ruakaka. These are sub-committees of council's Environmental Management Committee.

If flood protection work is needed, who’ll pay?

Typically local communities – who stand to benefit the most – will pay for flood protection works, but only after consultation.  
 

Contact us

For more information, please contact:

Bruce Howse
Land/Rivers Senior Programme Manager
Northland Regional Council
Ph: 0800 002 004
Email: mailroom@nrc.govt.nz

Do it online
A - Z Services
  • A-Z Services
Pay it
  • Pay online
Report it
  • Environmental Incidents
  • Report a spillage on Northland roads
  • Contact us
Submit it
  • Have your say
  • Tenders
  • Official information request
  • Submissions-Resource consent applications
  • Feedback
Join it
  • Subscriptions
  • eNewsletters
Apply for it
  • Job vacancies
  • Resource consents
  • Funding and awards
Make a submission
  • Have your say - Consultations
  • Notified resource consents
© Northland Regional Council
  1. About this site
  2. Site map
  3. A-Z Services
  4. Terms of Use
  5. Copyright
  6. Privacy Policy
  7. Contact us
  8. Log in
New Zealand Goverment Website