When floodwater rose around Kauwhata Marae during Cyclone Gabrielle, the response became a community effort. Special Solutions Flood Protection provided a large water-filled inflatable flood barrier across the front of the wharenui, helping protect one of the marae’s most important buildings while people worked around it.
Project location: Kauwhata Marae (Kai Iwi Pā), south of Feilding
System supplied: Water-filled inflatable flood barrier
Purpose: Protect the wharenui from approaching floodwater
Emergency response: February 2023, during Cyclone Gabrielle
A fast-moving flood
Kauwhata Marae sits near the Ōroua River and had already experienced serious flooding in 2004. During Cyclone Gabrielle in February 2023, water again moved rapidly through the surrounding area and across the marae.
Stuff reported that the water rose so quickly that, within about two and a half hours, two buildings had flooded and two others had come close. Marae members were sandbagging as the water reached its peak.
The speed of the event made every practical action important. This was not a planned demonstration or a controlled test. It was a real flood response, at night, with the community and emergency crews working together to protect what they could.
An inflatable barrier across the wharenui
After a call from Sharny Miller, Special Solutions Flood Protection provided one of our portable inflatable flood barriers. The empty barrier was positioned across the front of the wharenui and then filled with approximately 4,000 litres of water by Gareth Campbell Rural and the attending firefighter team.
It was a simple idea applied at the moment it was needed: use water to create the weight and stability required for a temporary barrier. As we said in our original February 2023 update, it was a case of fighting water with water.
Protecting one critical part of the marae
The barrier was not intended to protect the entire property, and other buildings were unfortunately damaged. Its job was focused: create a temporary line of defence in front of the wharenui.
The outcome was reported clearly in the local coverage: the water dam supplied by Special Solutions Flood Protection stopped water running into the wharenui meeting house. That distinction matters. Good flood protection is not about making broad promises; it is about identifying what most needs protection and putting a suitable system in the right place before the water arrives.
A genuine community response
The barrier was only one part of the response. Blair and Alicia Reid supplied sandbags, Gareth Campbell Rural and the firefighter team helped fill the inflatable barrier, Sharny Miller made the call that brought us in, and whānau and community members worked throughout the event.
Seeing everyone work together to help protect such an important place was the part of this project that stayed with us. The equipment mattered, but so did the people who moved quickly, shared resources and did the hard work in difficult conditions.
Why this project matters
Kauwhata Marae shows why portable flood protection can be valuable for marae, community facilities, businesses and other sites with vulnerable buildings. A reusable barrier can be stored until it is needed, moved into position while still empty, and filled using an available water supply.
The water-filled inflatable barrier used here is the type of large-format portable system now presented in our FloodLine XL range. The correct layout, water supply, ground conditions, anchoring and deployment plan still need to be considered for each site.
Allan McLean
Special Solutions Flood Protection
Planning flood protection for a marae or community facility?
If you are responsible for a marae, community facility, council site, business or other flood-exposed property, contact Special Solutions Flood Protection with photographs, the location and a basic description of the areas you need to protect. We can help identify the site information and measurements needed to compare suitable options.
Flood-protection performance depends on site conditions, correct deployment, water conditions and the suitability of the selected system. No temporary flood barrier should be treated as a guarantee that water cannot enter a property.
