The Canterbury region will be better prepared for the next flood event, following a $2.5m investment.
An Environment Canterbury-led (ECan) $2.5 million programme is under way to strengthen the resilience and reliability of the region's flood warning network as part of the national programme.
The council’s community preparedness and response to hazards core service lead Cr Ian Mackenzie says strengthening flood warning systems is critical to improving public safety and ensuring communities can rely on them when they are needed most.
“Flood warnings are one of the most valuable services we can provide our communities given the volatility of our rivers and New Zealanders’ love of the recreational activities our rivers provide.
“This funding will help regional councils around the country upgrade the resilience of our warning systems.”
Three of the region’s most critical flood monitoring sites have now been upgraded as part of a $12.88m national programme to strengthen flood warning systems across Aotearoa.
The council has identified 120 high-priority monitoring sites across the region, with RIF funding allowing the council to upgrade the first 90 sites over the next two years.
Future upgrades and wider improvements to the flood warning network will be considered through as part of next year’s Long Term Plan process and as part of the council’s 30-year Infrastructure Strategy.
The sites use a range of monitoring technologies, including river level sensors, rain gauges and communications equipment, to collect and transmit river level, flow and rainfall information in real time.
This real-time transmission of information, known as telemetry, supports flood forecasting, flood warnings and emergency response before and during severe weather.
The upgraded sites are being built to a new resilience standard that includes duplicated power supplies, communication systems, data loggers and sensors, reducing the risk of outages during major weather events.
Staff have also completed a review of the council's hydrometric network against industry standards and best practice, helping identify where resilience improvements are needed most.
Design and installation work is now underway on the next three high-priority sites, with the wider programme to be delivered over the next two years.
The Government announced $7.7m in funding in October 2025 from the Regional Infrastructure Fund (RIF) for the installation and upgrade of flood early-warning infrastructure across ten regions as part of its investment in flood resilience.
The project is being co-ordinated by ECan on behalf of the ten participating councils.
The councils are contributing 40 percent of project costs, with the Crown funding the remaining 60%.
The Regional Infrastructure Fund is administered by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s Kānoa – Regional Economic Development & Investment Unit.