Christchurch’s award-winning Te Kuru to the rescue

Christchurch City Council’s innovative approach to stormwater management has earned national recognition.

Te Kuru, the 109-hectare stormwater facility features expansive wetland areas, stormwater storage, and filtration basins, won two top awards at last week’s Aotearoa New Zealand Public Works Engineering Excellence Awards.

Te Kuru was named Best Public Works Project Over $5 million and received the award for Excellence in Environment & Sustainability, highlighting the city’s commitment to building resilient and environmentally sustainable infrastructure.

Mayor Phil Mauger says the recognition is timely, with Christchurch’s stormwater basins and wetlands playing a critical role during last week’s heavy rainfall.

“The team well and truly deserves this recognition – in fact, as the awards were being announced on Thursday 1 May, many of them were out and about in the Christchurch rain keeping on top of the situation. Our city is safer and more resilient because of their work, and we couldn’t be prouder.

“Our stormwater network has really been put to the test over the past week – and it’s done exactly what it was designed to do.

“Despite getting more than 140mm of rain, we managed to avoid some of the worst impacts of flooding that we’ve seen all too often in the past, before we started to upgrade our system in earnest.

“There was a notable difference in the scale of flooding in areas like Beckenham and Woolston where we’ve historically seen properties and homes flooded,” Mayor Mauger says.

Te Kuru is among stormwater retention basins in the upper Heathcote River catchment, which are a key part of the city’s flood management system.

During normal conditions, gates between the basins and river remain open. However, when heavy rain is expected, the gates are closed to temporarily hold water back from the river, easing pressure and reducing the risk of flooding. Once the rain subsides, the water is gradually released to ensure space is available for any further rain.

The Council is also building a series of new working wetlands across the city, including completed projects at Sparks Road and Curletts Road. These wetlands capture and naturally treat stormwater before it enters rivers and streams, while also providing recreational spaces for the community.

“Projects like this are a great example of how we can combine functions and make our city a better place to live – wetlands that protect homes and improve water quality, while also being places where people can walk, relax, and connect with nature,” Mayor Mauger says.

“This week has shown the real value of the investment we’ve made in smart, sustainable infrastructure. Congratulations once again to all the staff involved in Te Kuru and in our ongoing flood response efforts.”