Environment Southland has applied for almost $18 million of funding to upgrade the region’s essential flood protection infrastructure, as part of the Government’s “shovel-ready” infrastructure initiative.

On April 1, Infrastructure Minister Shane Jones asked the public and private sector to submit projects that were ready to start construction within six months, to stimulate the economy and reduce the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Environment Southland has applied for funding for three separate projects aimed at improving the community's resilience to flooding, which ES chief executive Rob Phillips said was Southland’s highest risk in terms of a natural hazard, as well as the potential effects of climate change. 

The first project is a joint application with the Invercargill City Council to upgrade stopbank infrastructure in Invercargill, costing $23 million.

Environment Southland said this would involve raising the height of the Stead Street, Waihopai and Otepuni stop banks and replacing the Stead Street pump station, which helps to drain water from the Invercargill Airport and surrounding areas. 

Environment Southland has applied for just over $7 million of the total funding and the ICC has applied for $11.35 million and, if approved, would contribute a total of $15.5 million towards to the project. 

ES is also seeking just over $10 million towards upgrading and raising the Gore, Mataura and Wyndham stopbanks, which were significantly tested in the February floods. 

Mr Phillips said the stopbanks were designed to protect people, property and livelihoods and the stopbanks in Gore, Mataura and Wyndam "showed their worth" in the February floods as they were "tested to their limit amid predictions at the time of floodwaters going far beyond their capacity. 

He said it was extremely fortunate that Mataura River in Gore peaked at 2400 cumecs – right on capacity.

“The value of our flood protection systems often goes unnoticed simply because they do their job so well. There were some places where the water breached the stop banks in February, which caused damage, but for the most part, they proved their worth and kept a huge volume of water where it was meant to be and protected townships across the region,” Mr Phillips said.

“The proposed upgrades are an investment in Southland’s future....It is now more important than ever to invest in maintaining and upgrading the stopbanks to cope with future challenges," he said. 

ES has also requested $800,000 for erosion repairs on the Waiau River, following damages done in the December flood. 

Environment Southland’s flood protection system is its major infrastructure with 458km of stopbanks across Southland – Mataura, Oreti, Makarewa, Aparima, Te Anau and Invercargill.