Part 1 - Palmerston North City Council

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1 INTRODUCTION
The Manawatu‐Wanganui Regional Council (MWRC) is part way through a major works programme to
upgrade that part of the Lower Manawatu Scheme (LMS) that protects Palmerston North from flood waters
from the Manawatu River. The project is known as the 'City Reach Project' and it is designed to protect the
City from flood flows as high as 4500 cubic metres per second (cumecs).
The City Reach Project includes the construction of new stopbanks and raising the levels of existing
stopbanks between Napier Road and the Awapuni Landfill, and a number of heavy rock linings to ensure the
river does not erode and undermine the stopbanks. The project also includes the realignment of the
Manawatu River adjacent to the ANZAC Park Cliff, which is the particular subject of this resource consent
application.
Erosion in the ANZAC Park Cliff area has been an on‐going issue for a number of years. This issue was
recognised in the Palmerston North City District Plan and until recently the Plan included a 'Cliff Protection
Line' and rules making it a prohibited activity to construct buildings and dwellings near the cliff. The Cliff
Protection Line was based on the best knowledge at the time that it was incorporated into the Plan and was
intended to provide protection well into the future. However, in recent times, the rate of erosion has
accelerated and the cliff is retreating faster than anticipated. This increased rate of erosion will expose land
above the cliff to risk much sooner than expected and also presents increased risk to the LMS stopbanks
due to the river being directed towards them as the cliff retreats. Additionally the erosion of the cliff is
creating an unsafe environment for river users in this popular reach of the river due to the unstable ground
and continual slips.
In April 2006, the MWRC resolved to hold discussions with the Palmerston North City Council (PNCC) and
PMB Landco Limited (the affected landowner) in respect of options for funding works to mitigate the
erosion of the cliff. The LMS City Reach proposal was approved by the MWRC in December 2006 and the
2007/08 Annual Plan included $1.5 million to realign the river at ANZAC Park Cliff. Subsequent
investigations identified some engineering issues with the realignment proposal and highlighted a need to
consider other alternatives. The present proposal was developed and agreed with the various parties, and
adopted by the MWRC through the 2009/19 Long Term Council Community Plan.
The ANZAC Park Cliff project is a multifaceted project with involvement from the MWRC, the PNCC and
PMB Landco Ltd. The MWRC intends to realign the river to prevent it from causing further erosion in the
ANZAC Cliff area. The proposed works will provide long term benefits in minimising future erosion of the
opposite (city side) river bank. It will also minimise sediment release to the river and therefore improve
water quality, and will minimise the risks, associated with land slips to the public who use the river for
recreation.
The PNCC and PMB Landco Ltd involvement is due to the potential for development and use of the
residentially zoned land above the cliff. The PNCC notified proposed Plan Change 2 on 24 November 2010.
It sought to delete the Cliff Protection Line and prohibited activity rule and to control development on the
land through the provisions relating to the control of development on 'Undevelopable Land'. Proposed Plan
Change 2 was heard on 29 September 2011 and the decision was notified, and took effect, in November
2011. Plan Change 2 was proposed and approved in the expectation that the proposed river realignment
and stabilisation works would take place in the near future.
PMB Landco Ltd owns much of the land above the cliff. The company has already subdivided a portion of
the land and is keen to develop its remaining land in the area but is hampered in doing so by the increasing
threat of erosion of the cliff by the river and by the unstable cliff being within close proximity to the
development area, creating a potential safety hazard. PMB Landco Ltd intends to lower and batter the cliff
back to a gentler slope so that it is self‐supporting and stable. These works will take place after the MWRC
has carried out the realignment and is dependent on the MWRC works taking place. The works proposed
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