A build-up of sand on the spit adjacent to the Whakatāne River mouth will be removed to reduce the potential for flooding issues caused by an extreme rain event.

Whakatāne District Council Senior Commercial Operations Officer Mark Cleghorn says the work will be undertaken early next week, 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 requires that the height of the sand be managed so that flood flows can break through that area, reducing the risk of flooding in the built-up areas upstream,” he says. “We’re very much aware that the whitebait season is now underway, so precautions will be taken to avoid the possibility of sediment disrupting whitebaiters’ activities.”

He says the Council has instructed the contractor to keep the earthmoving equipment used well away from the high tide mark to ensure that there’s no possibility of sand being pushed into the river. Work will also be concentrated around outgoing tides.

“We do have a relatively short timeframe to work within, because we also have to avoid the spring godwit and dotterel nesting seasons. Council staff will closely monitor the work, which we expect to be completed within two days.”