Work will begin soon on dredging the lower Heathcote River between Opawa Road and the Woolston Cut. Dredging will remove accumulated sediment to increase channel capacity and reduce flooding.

Stage 1 Radley Street to Woolston Cut
• Remaining tree removals started this week. Enabling works and dredging will follow, starting at Connal Reserve.
• For the initial phase, trucks will enter Connal Reserve from Heathcote Street (through the adjacent vacant properties) and exit onto Catherine Street as shown in the map above.
• For the second phase of Stage 1, trucks will load on the right bank just below Radley Street.
• Works will be by excavator and barge.
• Stage 1 will be ongoing between October 2018 and June 2019 including site tidy-up and landscaping from April 2019.
• Walkways on both sides of the river will be closed for a period of the works with safety fencing and signage in place to advise the nearest alternative route.
• Access through Radley Park will not be impacted by the main dredging work, and access through Laura Kent Reserve will be maintained via Laura Kent Place.

Stage 2 Opawa Road to Radley Street
• Stage 2 will also start around the second week of October 2018 with dredging by excavator.
• Works will be based from the Clarendon Terrace side of the river unless unforeseen (and unexpected) access issues require some dredging from the Richardson Terrace side.
• Dredging along Stage 2 will be in two periods to minimise adverse impacts on inanga (whitebait) during their spawning season.
   - October 2018 – February 2019 between Marshall Street and Tavender Street
   - June 2019 – September 2019 remaining areas between Opawa Road and Radley Street
• Rolling temporary traffic control including single lane and some parking restrictions will be in place on Clarendon Terrace for sediment removal and loading of the trucks. Please be careful around the worksite where these measures are in place.
• Final bank tidy-up and landscaping will be completed in mid-2019 when planting can be undertaken.

For all stages of this work the river will be closed to recreational vessels, such as kayaks and canoes between Opawa Road and Radley Park.

Further details of Stage 1 landscaping can be found here by clicking Heathcote River.

We will continue to keep you updated on Stage 2 reinstatement and Stage 3 dredging.

Please contact City Care Ltd on 03 941 7199 (or 0508 248 922 outside working hours) if you have any specific access requirements that they need to consider. Or contact the Council on the numbers below.