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Bay of Plenty Regional Council has awarded the contract to redivert freshwater flows from the Kaituna River back into the Maketu Estuary Te Awa o Ngatoroirangi.
Kaituna catchments manager Pim de Monchy says 18 different methods and options were considered before coming up with the final plan to cut a new channel at Ford’s Cut.
The river flow was diverted from the estuary in 1956 to protect low-lying farmland from flooding, but the resulting loss of freshwater inflow has severely degraded wildlife, kaimoana, water quality and the mauri of the estuary,
The $13.5 million project starting in July will return 20 percent of the Kaituna River’s freshwater flows back into the estuary and recreate at least 20 hectares of new wetlands.
Public information sessions will be held at Whakaue Marae on May 2.
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