Flood protection scheme opens

A $2.7 million flood protection system, Feilding’s Makino Project, on the northern outskirts of the town, was officially opened on Saturday (March 21) and drew about 100 interested ratepayers to a subsequent open day.

The project is part of Horizons Regional Council’s Lower Manawatu Scheme and was built in response to the substantial flooding which affected Feilding and surrounding areas in February 2004.

Manawatu District Mayor, Ian McKelvie, joined Horizons’ Chairman, Garrick Murfitt, and Horizons’ Operations Manager, Allan Cook, for the opening ceremony, with a number of MDC councillors and management also in attendance.

Mr Cook said the Makino Project had presented some real engineering challenges, but with excellent co-operation from property owners affected by construction activity and ongoing operation of the Reid Line floodway, was confident it would well serve the Feilding community in the future.