Better streets & spaces, Caring for the environment, Climate change, Land use and growth  |  4h ago

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The long-awaited project to build erosion and flood protection structures along Te Ihutai/Avon-Heathcote Estuary edge in Southshore and South New Brighton is set to begin, following the approval of resource consent this week.

“We aim to start construction in October 2026, following the bird roosting season, and expect a roughly 16-month build time. Key design changes agreed during the consenting process include a ‘soft beach’ trial at South New Brighton Park, full removal of old retaining structures rather than partial encapsulation, and refined estuary access points,” Red Zone Manager Dave Little says.

“Looking ahead to the construction phase, we expect landward works like the bund and paths to move quickly, while the coastal edge work will proceed more slowly to minimise impacts on the estuary’s internationally significant bird populations and delicate ecology. We look forward to continuing our close collaboration with the community via the SSRA throughout the detailed design phase this year,” he says.

The resource consent, granted jointly by Environment Canterbury and the Christchurch City Council, will last 20 years, providing immediate protection while long-term climate adaptation strategies are developed.

This milestone follows years of preparatory work, including the Council’s 2019 resolution to assume leadership of the project and the 2020 handover of the Southshore red-zoned land from the Crown (LINZ) to Council.

The Council had previously approved a $12.5 million programme of work to mitigate erosion and flooding in the area. The approved consent relates to the construction of coastal erosion and inundation protections such as gabion baskets, cobble beaches, rock revetments and inundation bunds. These measures are designed to restore pre-earthquake flood protection levels to the community.

With the consent now granted, the first half of this year will focus on detailed design, meeting all consent certification requirements, and tendering the construction works.