Flood protection

Flooding is New Zealand’s number one hazard. In the Wellington Region the majority of our towns are located on the floodplains of major rivers, with around 30% of our population living in flood prone areas. Greater Wellington manages the risk of flooding from major rivers and streams.

We manage the risk of flooding in several ways, including managing risk through:

• Building stopbanks
• Rebuilding and replacing rock structures
• Planting vegetation to stabilise riverbanks

We also give advice about flood hazard and how to avoid it as well as providing forecasting, planning and response methods during flood events.