• Waipaoa flood control

    Following the completion of the city side of the Waipaoa stopbank flood control upgrade, we’re advancing 25km on the western side of the river over the next 3 years. Stopbanks will be both higher and significantly wider to provide more flood protection accounting for climate change impacts of greater rain events and sea level rise.

    Budget for 3 years: $10.1m

  • DrainWise

    Our DrainWise programme is about continuing to work together with property owners to prevent wastewater overflows on private property and into our rivers during heavy rain. To prevent this, we inspect gully traps and downpipes on private properties to check they're in good condition and connected to the right outlet.

    We also have an on-going renewal programme for old wastewater pipes to reduce groundwater leaking into these pipes.

    Budget for 3 years: $13.2m

  • Wastewater treatment plant

    We’re upgrading the infrastructure of our treatment plant to improve water quality in partnership with key stakeholders and iwi representatives. We’re exploring alternative use and disposal with wetlands to progress the use of treated water.

    To begin the process of building a city wastewater wetland a further $2.6m is budgeted beyond this 3YP. This will be the final stage of wastewater disposal, rather than the marine outfall.

    Budget for 3 years: $0.5m

  • Walking and cycling

    Consists of footpaths, shared paths, footbridges, bike lanes, mountain bike tracks and boardwalks. We’re working on a plan to encourage different choices on how we travel.

    Other related projects include speed reductions near schools and in townships, Streets for People, and a road safety campaign to support safer walking and cycling.

    The only project in the next 3 years is extending the Taruheru River shared path from Mitre10 to the Botanical Gardens, with a budget of $3.3m.

  • Waingake transformation

    We'll continue with the programme of work to restore the natural eco-system to 1100ha of the Waingake Waterworks Bush. We’ve planted thousands of natives, placed willow and poplar poles in erosion prone areas to protect our main water pipeline, removed wilding pine regrowth and kept pest numbers down.

    This provides meaningful training and employment, our biodiversity flourishes and our water supply remains high quality.

    Budget for 3 years: $5.8m

  • Waste minimisation

    We have an important role in managing waste, reducing the harm it can cause, and encouraging communities and businesses to reduce waste. By doing this we can reduce waste disposal costs to ratepayers.

    Our project is a resource recovery and disposal centre. This will have an increased focus on recycling, recovery of our waste, and move towards zero waste.

    Budget for 3 years: $8.5m

  • City centre revitalisation

    Over the next year we’ll work with our economic partner Trust Tairāwhiti to take a closer look at what needs to be done to revitalise our city’s central business district (CBD).

    Later we'll ask you what you would like to see improved in the CBD to make it an even better place to live, work and play.

    Budget for 3 years: $3m

  • Kiwa Pools

    As part of our plan for the next 3 years we'll apply for external funding of $3.5m to complete the outdoor area. This is a committed project and is the second stage of the Kiwa Pools project, enhancing our recreational facilities.

    We require external funding of $3.5m.

    Budget for 3 years: $6.5m

Our places and spaces

We will continue to fix cyclone-damaged walkways and erosion prone areas in our reserves. At the same time we’ll make sure the right asset is in the right place to future proof our facilities.

We’ll take a look at:

  • The number of public toilets and playgrounds across the region.
  • Our main cemetery as we need a new site that’s not affected by high groundwater tables.
  • Ageing playground equipment for replacement.
  • Planting natives as natural buffers in coastal areas.
  • A feasibility study for a multi-purpose indoor court centre. This will be used to support a request for external funding.

Our other projects

We must also continue to manage shifting legislation and address the impacts of central government reforms. We’re working on these projects:

Our region's changed due to increased development, population growth and changing demands on natural resources. Developing a new TRMP will protect what’s important and provide a strategic view and direction that reflects the voice of mana whenua and our communities. This is a community-driven vision to address future challenges such as urban growth and development, outlined in the Tairāwhiti Future Development Strategy.

We’re reviewing our freshwater plans to improve the water resources in our 7 catchment areas. This will include new freshwater targets and allocation limits.

Overall we will continue to work with community groups, agencies, iwi and hapu on a number of freshwater projects including:

Freshwater Improvement Fund

  • Focusing on riparian planting, wetland restoration, removal of fish passage barriers, enhancing fish spawning and reducing erosion in our urban and peri-urban waterways.

Freshwater Farm Plan – Regional Pilot

  • Tairāwhiti has been selected as one of 3 regions to test the freshwater farm planning process with a small selection of farms. The pilot will inform better planning practices in the future.

Integrated Catchment Management Plan (ICMP)

  • Under the TRMP, the ICMP will be completed alongside freshwater planning by 2025.