River Management

In response to Cyclone Gabrielle, Horizons Regional Councilswiftly mobilised emergency reserves to repair flood protection infrastructure throughout the Tararua District—targeting stopbanks, spillways, and drainage systems to restore community resilience.

Following technical assessments, Horizons approved an extensive River Management Repair Programme, prioritising the 173 highest‑risk sites across eight schemes—which included the Ākitio catchment.

Importantly, the programme incorporated ongoing engagement with affected landowners, iwi, and rural communities through field visits, scheme meetings, and individual consultations, ensuring repair priorities reflected on‑the‑ground concerns and were shaped by local knowledge.

This feedback mechanism helped refine technical strategy by identifying debris hotspots, optimal river channel locations, and the need to “build back better” for instance, widening corridors and using enhanced erosion materials to boost long‑term flood resilience.

Horizons also deployed land‑management advisors to assist rural landowners with landslip recovery, oversowing, and pole planting across eroded hillsides, supporting over 30,000 poles planted to stabilise catchments .

Through a coordinated, community-driven approach, this recovery effort balanced engineering robustness with local insight—ensuring repair works not only addressed immediate post‑Gabrielle damage, but also aligned with community priorities and enhanced future flood resilience.