‘Te Kupeka o Waimātaitai’ new Stead St pump station officially opened

A critical piece of regional infrastructure - ‘Te Kupeka o Waimātaitai’, the Stead St pump station – was officially opened today (16 August) in Invercargill.

The new pump station forms an integral part of Invercargill’s flood protection scheme, protecting 1,556ha from inundation for the next 50 years or more. This pump station is critical to the 116 properties in the immediate area and is a lifeline for the airport, supporting 320,000 passengers plus freight each year.

Environment Southland chairman Nicol Horrell said the opening marked a significant milestone in the council’s ongoing commitment to improving Murihiku Southland's flood protection infrastructure, and building resilience to climate change impacts.

“It was also driven by a need to bolster climate resilience for Invercargill, and to meet the aspirations of Ngāi Tahu ki Murihiku and our community to restore the health of the New River Estuary.”

The project would not have been possible in the timeframe achieved without the significant financial investment from central government through Kānoa - the Regional Economic Development & Investment Unit, he said.

The project was announced in 2020 as part of the Government's funding package for six Southland “shovel-ready” climate resilience projects. Construction began in October 2022 and the build and commissioning was completed in July 2024.

The Associate Minister for Regional Development, the honourable Mark Patterson, officially opened the pump station, alongside Chairman Horrell, Waihopai Rūnaka’s Dean Whaanga and Fulton Hogan’s Chief Operating Officer NZ Construction Justin McDowell.

‘Te Kupeka o Waimātaitai’ is the name gifted by the Waihōpai Rūnaka for the Stead Street pump station redevelopment. Waimātaitai refers to the mix of coastal sea and fresh waters that make up the brackish waters of an estuary. Kupeka is a long fishing net.

The twin Archimedes screw pumps will provide safe fish passage for valued mahika kai species, as required by the introduction of the National Environmental Standards for Freshwater in 2020 to manage fish passage.

“Combined with locally sourced native plantings, this ensures we continue our work to restore and protect the health of Kōreti New River Estuary,” chairman Horrell said.

The project has drawn in a wide range of local expertise and provided diverse employment opportunities for many Southlanders; 223 people living in the region have worked on the project to date.

A new transformer has significantly boosted capacity from 200kVA to 500kVA to power the new pumps. The transformer is now positioned on a platform above the 1984 flood level, providing greater protection for Invercargill Airport, and a backup supply to the Ōtātaracommunity. The pump station can also connect to a temporary generator, ensuring continuous operation during power outages.

ENDS

For more information: Adrienne Henderson, Team Leader Strategic Communications 021 784 964

Benefits of the new pump station by the numbers:

• 30 mm of rain across the 1,556ha Lake Hawkins catchment over 24 hours could generate enough water to fill 80 Olympic-sized swimming pools. The existing pump station would require 3 days to pump this flood water from the airport side of the Stead Street flood wall to the estuary. The new pump station would shift this water in 1.8 days.
• 70 mm of rain across the catchment over 24 hours (which is comparable to the September 2023 flood event) would fill 420 Olympic-sized swimming pools and take the existing pump station 7 days to pump the water out. The new pump station will reduce this time to 4 days.