33180 (2026). Tangi Utikere to the Minister of Local Government

Written Question

Published date: 06 Aug 2026

Metadata

Document type:	Written Question
Parliament number:	54
Question number:	33180 (2026)
Question asked:	23 Jul 2026
Member asking:	Tangi Utikere
Portfolio:	Minister of Local Government
Minister replying:	Hon Simon Watts
Answer received:	02 Aug 2026
Status:	Question Answered
Reply type:	Reply
Document ID:	WQ_33180_2026
Document guid:	9ff16f51-4c76-4a61-af9a-dc1825bd6b51

33180 (2026). Tangi Utikere to the Minister of Local Government: What is the technical issue affecting the design process for the Wairoa flood resilience project that was identified in the March 2026 quarterly recovery progress update on the 2023 North Island Weather Events?

Hon Simon Watts: The issue related to an elevated risk of river avulsion identified in initial flood modelling, occurring when the spillway is activated in a 1-in-100-year design flood event or in events exceeding this. This issue has been resolved as per earlier responses (refer to questions 33176 and 33177).