Part of the Kāeo River in Northland has been diverted through a newly dug channel as part of a scheme to reduce flooding in the town, RNZ reports. The new channel moves the point where Waikare Creek joins the river about 500 metres downstream, which is intended to improve how floodwater moves through the area during heavy rain, which has repeatedly flooded Kāeo over the years. Northland Regional Council member Colin Kitchen, who chairs the working group behind the project, called it a major step that should lower the flood risk for the township and the nearby State Highway 10. The works have also uncovered archaeological sites, one radiocarbon dated to between 1400 and 1450AD, and fish from the disused stretch of river have been moved.
Source: RNZ