The update was delivered at the Rochester Rotary Club’s community chat breakfast, where REDHS chief executive Mary Manescu and levee project manager Remi Rauline outlined key details of the project.
The presentation provided further context on the levee’s design and the process of delivering the works.
Ms Manescu said the project was about ensuring long-term protection for the facility following the impacts of past flooding.
“The devastation that took hold and took more than two years to rebuild, is not something that we want to see ever again,” she said.
“It's so important that this facility is protected, and with that in mind, we have worked with a number of people to design a solution that not only complements, but also makes it sustainable for the future.”
The REDHS project proposal will see the new levee built about 35cm higher than the level reached during the 2022 flood.
Its foundations have also been engineered to accommodate more severe flood events and allow for a further increase of up to 40cm if required in the future.
The northern side of the levee, which faces the community, will feature concrete planter boxes designed to allow trees and shrubs to be incorporated into the structure, helping to create an appealing streetscape for the community.
On the eastern side of the site, where the ground slopes, the wall will be built up to two metres higher behind the hospital’s substation.
The existing levee behind the substation will be rebuilt in a similar form, but stronger and at a higher level, as it is currently not structurally sound.
Along the north-west to south-east section, a concrete wall will be installed with pool-style fencing on top as a safety measure to prevent people from climbing the wall to enter or exit the site.
Open access points will still be kept around the levee to ensure people can continue to enter the hospital site easily.
In the event of a flood warning, demountable gates can be installed using sleepers stored on site to cover these access points.
Several staff members will be trained to assemble these temporary barriers within a matter of hours.
Following the presentation, community members were given the opportunity to ask questions and raise concerns, which were addressed by the REDHS team during the session.
Concerns about how the levee will impact surrounding properties were also raised.
According to the proposal, the hospital levee will only push an additional 1cm of floodwaters on to surrounding buildings.
One neighbour, who attended the breakfast event, said they were “fully behind the levee”.
Community members were also curious about the project’s timeline, supports available for REDHS neighbours, and estimated costs.
Ms Manescu said the team had strived to limit the negative impact of the levee on the community.
“We appreciate the impact for everyone because it's not just one building ... I know everyone's trying to protect certain assets,” she said,
“At the end of the day, protecting (the hospital) is vital for all us ... and of course for generations to come.
“We don't want to create an issue for anybody ... We have done the best we think we can in order to minimise that.”
The planning application was lodged on Thursday, March 12 and once it is approved, REDHS will open tenders from May to June.
The build is expected to begin in September and be completed during autumn next year.
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