Kaiapoi Flooding and Stormwater Shovel Ready Fund Improvements

During the first Covid-19 lockdown in 2020 we applied for funding from the Government to upgrade and increase the stormwater network across Kaiapoi and reduce the likelihood of flooding in big storm events.

Our bid was successful and the overall project cost (estimated to be $18m) was jointly funded from existing Council budgets ($9m) as well as Government Shovel Ready Projects funding ($9m).

The work includes the Otaki Street pumping station, Beach Road pumping station, McIntosh Drain pumping station, Parnhams Drain accessway, the Sneyd Street and Beach Road culvert works as well as the mains replacements and other infrastructure as required.

This work is essential and when we have extreme weather events the area typically floods. When working in unison this suite of infrastructure will future proof Kaiapoi against sea level rise, increased rainfall intensity and localised flooding.

Of these projects the main one that remains to be completed is the McIntosh Drain pumping station.

The Shovel Ready Project funding requires that all work identified in the proposal be completed by 2022. Due to these constraints, we are unable to reduce the scope of the project to fit within the original Budget.

We have recently updated our total Shovel Ready costing to be $22.3m and with no further funding expected from central Government the Council share increases from $9m to $13.3m. This is due to an underestimation of total costs as well as inflation of construction material costs.

We propose to fund this difference through an increase in development contributions in the North East Kaiapoi area and an increase in District Drainage rates.