A build-up of sand on the spit on the western side of the Whakatāne River mouth will be removed to reduce the potential for upstream flooding issues during extreme rain events.
Whakatāne District Council Capital Projects Manager Jim Finlay says the work will be completed in the next few days, at the direction of the Bay of Plenty Regional Council, to comply with the Flood Management Plan for the river.
“Our resource consent for the western spit wall requires that the height of the sand be managed so that flood flows can break through that area, reducing the risk of flooding in built-up areas,” he says.
Mr Finlay says the earthmoving equipment will be kept well away from the high tide mark, to ensure that there’s no possibility of sand being pushed into the river and deposited on the bar at the harbour entrance.