Morningside flood relief

  • Project typeImprovement work
  • Project value$5.5 million ($3 million funded by Crown Infrastructure Fund)
  • Project scheduleJanuary 2025 to March 2026
  • Contractor nameUnited Civil
  • Completion Date06 March 2026
A photo of a car trapped in flood waters on a street in Morningside.

Flooding in Kaka Street in the Morningside area was having an impact on businesses, residents and the community.

At times, the flooding entered homes, cars and buildings, causing disruption and damage to roads. 

This project aimed to significantly reduce flooding in the low-lying areas around Kaka Street. It was comprised of two stages:

Stage 1 – January to July 2025

This stage included:

  • increased water storage in Rawhiti stream at the end of Rawhiti Street
  • installation of a new pump station to move water to Limeburners Channel faster
  • flood walls erected to help maximise channel capacity and speed up the flow of water
  • the pump station being built into a new precast concrete structure, which acts as the new walkway bridge, pump housing and flood wall.

Stage 2 – May to November 2025

Stage 2 saw the installation of a new system of pipework, also referred to as a ‘stormwater interceptor’.

This collects stormwater runoff from the upper Morningside area and convey it directly into Limeburners Channel below the new pump station.

By constructing the interceptor, stormwater can be diverted away from low-lying properties around Morningside Sports Park and Kaka Street, reducing the volume of water that would otherwise accumulate and require pumping.

This stage involved: 

  • installation of two sets of stormwater piping from the end of Rawhiti Street (see the map below) 
  • one crosses the Whangārei Pipe Band Society carpark and Morningside Sports Park to Morningside Road and along towards Morningside School
  • the other was laid along Rawhiti Street, up to Morningside Road and along to approximately 108 Morningside Road.

Map showing the two stages of the Morningside flood relief project.  

Location

Rawhiti Street, Morningside 0110  View Map

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