We’ve kicked off a new year-long project to protect Waihī Beach’s Two Mile Creek, and the adjoining central business district properties from erosion.
Two Mile Creek, runs between Wilson Road and Edinburgh Street, in a busy part of town. It’s been suffering from erosion for some time now, and from June we’ll be starting to lay rock down on the stream bed and sides to stop it washing away.
The work will take place on most properties from 45 Edinburgh, downstream to the Dillon Street bridge, and on the opposite side of the creek with properties along Wilson Road. All up, a 320m section of Two Mile Creek will be protected from erosion.
Because access will be via private properties, the individual landowners have been consulted and made a decision take part.
Environmental protections including an ecological plan, plantings, water quality, fish passage have all been considered and planned for.
What to expect
We’ve planned to minimise any disturbances, but if you're in the area, there could be some dust and noise from the work.
Contractors will be using smaller machinery (6 tonne excavator) to do work instream, and only doing work between 7.00am-6.00pm Monday to Friday, (Saturdays only if there is a specific need.)
We’re also going to place noise dampening rubber mats at the rock unloading site to reduce the noise of rock deliveries.
Parts of Te Mata Reserve, will be out of action while the work takes place. The small walking track at the top of Te Mata Reserve will be realigned so access is maintained. We will be undertaking environmental enhancements within the reserve when the project is complete.
Timing
Here’s when we expect to be carrying out the work. The project will take approximately a year to complete, and work at each property will take a couple of weeks to complete.
Update 7 September 2023
All works at Two Mile Creek stopped while we applied to Bay of Plenty Regional Council for a resource consent variation to include some details regarding fish passage and easements.
The resource consent variation has now been approved. As the fish migration period is underway (1 August – 30 October), we are unable to do any physical work until this is over, on 1 November.
For now, our contractors will remove the temporary dams in the creek and reinstall them from 1 November. The final completion date is now likely to be in Winter 2024 (indicative only).
Timeframe | Activity |
June – July
2023
| Beach Contractors to set up on site and at Te Mata Reserve. Begin physical works on creek starting from the upstream boundary of site and move downstream, section by section.
Update: Works stopped to submit resource consent variation. Contractors to ‘disestablish site’ leave stream secure and protected (posted 17 July 2023).
|
August – 30 October 2023
| Works stop for fish migration period from 1 August to 30 November as per resource consent.
Update: Bay of Plenty Regional Council have approved a change so that works begin again from 1 November (posted 28 June 2023).
|
| 1 November to mid December 2023
| Works begin again.
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December 2023 to Mid January 2024
| No works during holiday period 17 December 2023 - 16 January 2024.
|
End of January - July 2024
| Re-establishment on site by end of January. Complete the remaining section of works by mid May.
Update: Project completion delayed by resource consent variation, new completion date expected in Winter 2024 - indicative date only (posted 17 July 2023).
|
Why we're doing this work
Two Mile Creek is an important part of Waihī Beach’s stormwater network. It’s a crucial channel for rain to make a quick exit out of town, preventing loss of land in one of the main business areas of Waihī Beach.
Over time erosion has become an issue along the creek, where the stormwater flow has contributed to land being slowly washed away from both sides of the creek.
This project is part of Council’s Stormwater Strategy, which the public shared their thoughts on through the Long Term Plan 2015-25.
Methodology
The work in June will start with site office set up and removal of plants from the stream.
Work in stream will begin at the site access (37 Edinburgh Street), then moving downstream one section at a time and the remaining sections will be completed in the following months. In each section the banks will be contoured and rock armouring will be placed along the sides and on the bed of the stream.
Each day contractors will create a dam in the stream with barriers on the upstream and downstream boundary of their working area. The waterflow will be pumped from upstream of the dam, to below the downstream barrier.
Every effort will be made to secure the sections being actively worked on to prevent more erosion. Each night the dam barriers will be moved so that natural water flow is restored. The dam barriers will be placed in stream where they can provide extra protection of uncompleted sections of work. Extra precautions will be put in place prior to storms and stand-down periods.
