Whakatāne District Council is advising Ōhope residents and motorists that stormwater works in the Maraetōtara area are set to resume from Monday, 9 February. The work will involve the installation of a new stormwater main to the east of the Maraetōtara Stream and will restrict pedestrian access on the seaward side of Pohutukawa Avenue. Traffic will also be reduced to one lane at various stages throughout this phase of the area’s stormwater improvements, which should be completed by the end of March 2015.

Prior to Christmas, the western portion of stage one of the Maraetōtara stormwater project was completed. The project continues with the installation of a new 1350 mm diameter pipe from the drain adjacent to the Chartered Club through to the Maraetōtara Stream.

Whakatāne District Council General Manager Infrastructure, Tomasz Krawczyk, says the new pipe will relieve the pressure on the existing Pohutukawa Avenue drainage system during heavy rain. “While it is not a complete solution, we anticipate that the new pipe will assist in draining the area more rapidly during heavy rainfall events,” Mr Krawczyk says. “We are continuing to work with the Bay of Plenty Regional Council on upstream mitigation measures in the Maraetōtara catchment.”

The second phase of the stormwater project is also underway, with designers currently working on a solution for the residential area east of the Maraetōtara Stream. Mr Krawczyk says the next phase will be tendered and installed as soon as an acceptable solution has been developed.