
Ko te Ārai Waipuke
Flood Protection
The risk of flooding is increasing every year. New flood events have shown that we need even stronger defences to prevent significant flood damage to homes, business and the natural world.
Te Wai Takamori o Te Awa Kairangi programme brings a wide range of different flood protection strategies to help protect the Hutt Valley from a natural disaster.

He Whakarauora Tāone
Urban Revitalisation
Te Wai Takamori o Te Awa Kairangi programme will turn Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai - Lower Hutt into a true river city, putting our taonga - Te Awa Kairangi / Hutt River - at the heart of our community. Developing in harmony with our environment will help us to build a strong and vibrant, progressive city.
Beyond flood protection and transport upgrades, the project will stimulate urban and economic growth.

Waka Whenua
Transport
Te Wai Takamori o Te Awa Kairangi programme aims to make Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai - Lower Hutt more connected, with improvements to the road and rail infrastructure, as well as new cycleways and pathways.
Te Wai Takamori o Te Awa Kairangi - a name that reflects our shared responsibility
Our programme, formerly known as RiverLink, now carries the name Te Wai Takamori o Te Awa Kairangi, meaning ’the soothing waters of the Hutt River’.
This name, gifted by Kura Moeahu, chair of Te Rūnanganui o Te Āti Awa, honours the deep cultural, spiritual, and historical significance of the river and speaks to the healing power of water, reminding us of our responsibility to care for Te Awa Kairangi/Hutt River and ensure its wellbeing for future generations.
Te Awa Kairangi is a taonga and awa tupua (treasured ancestral river) for Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika and Ngāti Toa Rangatira. It is the largest river in the Wellington region, flowing from the Tararua Ranges through forested streams and urban landscapes before reaching Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington Harbour). It is a vital source of freshwater and sustains a rich ecosystem, including rare and endangered species.
This name change reflects the strength of our partnership with iwi and our shared commitment to honouring the histories, values, and kaitiakitanga (guardianship) roles that they hold. Just as the ancestresses Hine-wai-tōtā, Hine-kōrako and Hine-wairere soothed the land after the dramatic actions of Ngake, the tupua (ancient phenomemon). We too must protect and restore the river’s mouri (life force) through the work we do together.
Kawepūrongo | News

