7 April 2017
Issued at 10.25am
Piako River pressures see some flood stopbanks being overtopped
Waikato Regional Council is alerting farms alongside the Piako River that overtopping of some stopbanks is expected,
resulting in floodwaters getting into paddocks.
Overtopping of these stopbanks is part of the flood system design.
The council said it contradicts the flood system design to put sandbags on these stopbanks to stop this happening
because this will increase the risk of serious flooding in the Hauraki Plains township of Ngatea.
The stopbanks are designed to contain floodwaters in ponding areas and prevent them getting on to farms. The scheme is
essential to help protect farming in the area.
“However, the stopbanks can only contain so much. Additional sandbagging is impractical if we want to protect areas,
like Ngatea, downstream of the areas where the overtopping is continuing,” said the council’s Hauraki and Coromandel
manager Adam Munro.
“Landowners with concerns are welcome to discuss any problems they’re having and we will support them where we can.”
The council warned yesterday that following the recent heavy rains various river levels around the region, including the
Piako’s, will take some time to recede.
ends