20 December, 2011

Turitea Campus Flood Protection Works given support

Proposed Lower Manawatu flood protection works at the Turitea Science Campus will be included in Horizons Regional Council’s draft Long Term Plan, after agreement was reached between Horizons Regional Council and owners of the Science Campus properties.

The flood protection works would provide the same standard of flood protection to the Science Campus as will be provided to the main Palmerston North ‘City’ area on the right bank of the Manawatu River, at the conclusion of the City Reach Project in 2013-14 Furthermore the proposal would also provide 200-year level flood protection from the Turitea Stream.

Owners and lessees of the Science Campus properties; Massey University, Fonterra, Ag Research, LASRA and Plant and Food Research have expressed their desire for the protection work to proceed due to the concern for property, valuable science projects and business disruption. So after negotiations with Horizons they have committed to an annual contribution, for up to 15 years, to the protection works.

“The five organisations will in effect be covering 50% of the cost for the flood protection works, while the wider community will cover the remaining 50%. This reflects the importance of the campus to the city, and the wider value of its protection,” said Horizons Operations Group Manager, Allan Cook.

“The institutes located on the campus bring considerable indirect benefits to the whole city and are amongst our largest employers.”

The Turitea flood protection work would involve building a 1.5 metre earth stop bank, together with short sections of concrete flood wall, around the campus and set back from the river. Adding on the work at Turitea would extend the targeted flood protection works rate for city ratepayers by one year, but would not increase the current level of rating for the City Reach project.

“This arrangement has now been supported by the Regional Council and the City Reach Working Party,” said Mr Cook.

The proposal will now be included in the draft long term plan to which the public can make submissions throughout April 2012. Subject to the outcome of that process, the work will be completed in 2014.

ENDS

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