“In terms of climate change it will also be much more resilient.”
Recent checks found a spot where the volume of water had scoured out a deep hole, known as a scour hole, 12 metres below sea level, which was very surprising, Heslop said.
Tracey McNamara/Supplied
McIntosh’s bend is a popular salmon fishing spot.
If the river breached its banks at the bend, the floodwaters would threaten Ferry and Beach roads, surrounding properties, east Kaiapoi, and the nearby oxidation ponds.
The work would include strenthening a 700m length of stopbank using 19,000 tonnes of rocks from View Hill Quarry near Oxford.