Flood protection

Flooding in the Wellington Region poses a risk to both life and property. Many of our urban and rural communities are at risk.

Greater Wellington manages the risk of flooding and erosion in our region. We do this by using both engineering solutions and environmental maintenance. This can include:

• Building stopbanks
• Rebuilding and replacing rock structures
• Planting vegetation to stabilise riverbanks

We also give advice to communities and developers about flood hazard and how to avoid it.

The 2004 flood in the Waiwhetu Stream is a recent reminder of the damage that flooding can cause. This event flooded houses along Riverside Drive, the Hutt Park raceway and the businesses in Gracefield.