Flooding is Aotearoa New Zealand’s most frequent natural hazard – and it’s getting worse as our climate changes.

Across Waitaha Canterbury, we’ve seen the impact first-hand: homes damaged, roads cut off and communities disrupted. It’s a big challenge, but as your regional council, we’re pushing on to deliver the vital flood protection work we need.

Every day, we’re working to protect people, property, and livelihoods. Our flood protection network spans 2,000 kms of rivers and streams, with stopbanks, floodgates, and drainage systems worth around $850 million.

A busy summer

This summer, we’re kicking off a new wave of projects to upgrade flood infrastructure from Pareora to Kaikōura – thanks to the second round of Regional Infrastructure (RIF) funding  administered by Kānoa – Regional Economic Development & Investment Unit.

There’s a lot going on as we start this work in multiple areas, including stopbank repairs and upgrades, and flood capacity improvements.