Environment Southland (ES) has begun work this week (23 Oct) on the banks of both the Aparima River and Otautau Stream, in an effort to bolster the flood protection of Ōtautau.

The Aparima project, budgeted to cost $500,000, is the first part of a $6 million project - 60% funded by central government through it's 'Before the Deluge 2.0' programme - to improve flood protection across Southland.

Other Southland projects include the Ōreti ($5m) and the Te Anau Basin ($500k).

The Aparima project will begin with critical flood protection work covering 19 kilometres of stop banks on the Aparima River, from Ōtautau to Wreys Bush, including planned improvements of erosion control and stop bank reinstatement,

The Ōtautau Stream would also have crack willow removed as well as 3,300 tonnes of rock to protect the stream edges and 1,000 tonnes of fill.

ES catchment operations manager Randal Beal said the Ōtautau Stream stop banks were generally in good condition, however the new work will mitigate identified flood risks and strengthen the community’s resilience to extreme flood events in the future.

The new work on the Ōtautau Stream was designed to ensure the long-term protection of the stream from erosion and reinstating the flood capacity of its channel.

The Aparima project is expected to be completed by autumn 2025.

ES said access to the stop bank would be restricted while the works was underway.

As part of this project, the Southland District Council will be carrying out tree removal on Slaughterhouse Road and near the old tip site road. Following the tree removal, additional work on the stop banks may be required to maintain their stability.

In 2020 co-funding of climate resilience projects as part of the Government’s Covid economic recovery shovel ready package was secured that saw flood protection projects completed on the Waiau River, and in Gore, Mataura, Wyndham and Invercargill on the Waihōpai River and at the Stead Street Pump Station upgrade.