The installation of an automated floodgate has capped off a major community investment in making Graham's Creek locals safer from flooding.

The floodgate is one of the 'jewels in the crown” of the extensive flood mitigation works at Graham's Creek which have recently been completed, says Waikato Regional Council's Coromandel manager Graeme Osborne.

The Graham's Creek flood mitigation works will be officially opened in Tairua this Saturday. Photo: WRC/Facebook

To celebrate, the regional council is inviting the local community down to Graham's Creek for an open day which is taking place this Saturday, from 10.30am to 1.30pm.

Installed last week, the floodgate was developed by the council with help from Wintec engineering student Juan Martinez, Todd Foundation funding, Tonkin and Taylor Consultants and Kopu Engineering.

Graham says when water levels build in the stream during a flood event, a float mechanism closes the floodgate automatically which diverts water across the designated spillway and prevents properties on Ocean Beach Road in Tairua from being flooded.

'It's great to have this fantastic new floodgate in place, without it needing to cost the earth, and having our Hauraki operations staff across to help with the construction has really contributed to keeping costs down,” says Graham.

The flood mitigation works also provide a far-greater level of flood mitigation to the local community than what was originally anticipated, he adds.

'This success is a tribute to the excellent co-operation between the local community, the regional council and Thames-Coromandel District Council.”

Connecting with an upgraded causeway, the works provide properties around Graham's Creek with protection from the small flood events Tairua frequently experiences, as well as more significant events like those that might occur once every 50 years.

The scheme's already proved its worth when heavy rain struck in late April. Usually, properties along Ocean Beach Road would have been affected by flood water but there was no damage – despite the works still being under construction at the time.

THE GRAHAM'S CREEK WORKING PARTY

The Graham's Creek Working Party was established in 2014 to identify a preferred design for the flood mitigation works.

This group was key in determining a design that achieved sound flood mitigation for the greatest number of properties, at minimal cost, and that improved water quality and biodiversity values in the area.

Waikato Regional Council's Coromandel manager Graeme Osborne says the resulting design of the works has been future proofed and can be added to at a later date should the community so desire.

'Coming up with the final design involved countless hours of wading through technical information, ecological reports and design schedules,” explains Cameron.

'Working party members also took on board ideas and concerns raised by others in the community, questioning and challenging our thinking to ensure their community got the best result.”

The working party members were Graham Turner, Joyce Birdsall, Phil Smith, Tony Jacobs, Ian Jowett and Jim Jackson. They were supported by both regional and local elected members.

The Graham's Creek flood mitigation works will be officially opened during an open day taking place this Saturday, August 27, from 10.30am to 1.30pm.

For more information visit the Thames-Coromandel District Council's Graham's Creek Flood Works webpage or call the Waikato Regional Council's Whitianga office on 0800 800 401.