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Boulcott/Hutt Project

About the project

As part of the implementation phase of the Hutt River Floodplain Management Plan, Greater Wellington is constructing a new stopbank through the former Boulcott and Hutt golf courses (now the Boulcott’s Farm Heritage Golf Club), and undertaking river works to widen the river channel. The project will be completed in 2 stages. Stage 1, the Boulcott/Hutt stopbank, will be constructed during the period from June 2011 to September 2014. Planning and design for Stage 2, river works, will commence in 2012/13.

The existing stopbank

In this reach of the river, the existing stopbank extends from Melling Bridge to Hathaway Avenue.  This section of the stopbank was originally constructed in early 1900s and later upgraded in the 1960s.  Following the 1998 floods, emergency repairs were carried out on a section of this stopbank near Connolly Street.  There is no existing stopbank from Hathaway Avenue to Fairway Drive but land just south of Hathaway Avenue is high enough to contain about a 100 year flood.  The stopbank then start again at the rear of the former National Film Unit building (now the GNS Science building); this short section of stopbank was constructed in the 1970s and is of a good standard.
Failure of the existing stopbank or overtopping at Hathaway Avenue has the potential to cause major flooding of the Hutt Valley.  

The Boulcott/Hutt stopbank

The new stopbank, Boulcott/Hutt stopbank, will be constructed to a 1 in 440 year return period flood standard and will follow the existing stopbank from east of Mills Street to the Boulcott street before crossing the golf course to reach the Club rooms (former Hutt course). From the Hutt clubrooms, the stopbank will cross a number of holes, before generally following the residential boundary to Fairway Drive. Most of the stopbank is located on the land owned by the golf club. No work can commence on this land until a land entry agreement is signed between Greater Wellington and the golf club.

River works

In this reach of the river, the river channel and floodway, at Transpower’s Melling Substation, narrow significantly.  In the feasibility study for the stopbank, significant benefits were found if the river channel was widened in the vicinity of Transpower's Melling substation; the height of flood waters and the erosive force of the river are reduced.

As the benefits of river widening have proven to be significant we are now looking at the design of the river channel between the Kennedy Good and Ewen Bridges.

Stopbank construction

A major milestone was reached on 24 May 2011 with Greater Wellington signing off on the land access agreement between Greater Wellington and the Boulcott's Farm Heritage Golf club.  With the agreement now signed, Greater Wellington will also appoint the selected contractor, Goodman Contractors Ltd, to commence the stopbank construction works.

The stopbank construction work will begin in June 2011 and the project is scheduled for completion in September 2014.

Further information

An information session was held for interested residents on Tuesday 21 June 2011 at the Boulcott's Farm Heritage Golf Club. The information displayed at this information session can be viewed below:

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