6 July 2026
Luke Howison
[FYI request #34877 email]
Tēnā koe Luke,
Request for Information – Local Government Official Information and Meetings
Act (LGOIMA) 1987
We refer to your official information request dated 8 June 2026, seeking
information relating to the decision to close Kennedy Good Bridge and Mel ing
Bridge on the evening of 20 April 2026. Specifical y, you requested:
1. Any written criteria, protocols, or thresholds used to determine when these
bridges should be closed due to river levels or flood conditions, including
any formal trigger points such as river gauge heights, flow rates
(cumecs), or freeboard margins.
2. The river gauge readings and or flow rate data recorded at the time the
decision to close the bridges was made, the anticipated readings given
the forecast rainfal , and the readings at the time they were reopened.
3. Any internal communications between Hutt City Council staff and or
Greater Wel ington Regional Council staff relating to the decision to close
the bridges on that evening.
4. Any engineering assessments or advice provided to the Lower Hutt
Control er prior to the closure decision.
5. Records of the post-closure engineering inspection carried out on the
morning of 21 April 2026, including the findings that led to the bridges
being reopened.
6. Data on previous occasions when Hutt River levels reached or exceeded
those recorded on 20 April 2026, and whether bridge closures were
implemented on those occasions.
30 Laings Road, Lower Hutt
Private Bag 31912, Lower Hutt 5040
/huttcitycouncil
0800 488 824
[email address]
www.huttcity.govt.nz
▲The pattern at the top of this page is inspired by the natural landforms, hil s, river, and coastline surrounding Lower Hutt. It represents our people, our place, and our home.
Answer:
Please refer to
Appendix 1, which lists the documents in scope of your request
and Council’s decision on their release. Copies of the documents marked for
release are enclosed. Please note, some information has been withheld under
the fol owing provisions of the LGOIMA:
• Section 7(2)(a), to protect the privacy of natural persons, including that of
deceased natural persons, and
• Section 7(2)(j), to prevent the disclosure or use of official information for
improper gain or improper advantage.
In response to your questions about the criteria and decision-making for closing
Kennedy Good Bridge and Mel ing Bridge, the relevant operational guidance is
set out in the Hutt River Catchment Guide and the Hutt City Council Local
Emergency Response Plan. These documents provide a framework for
responding to flooding events, including when bridge closures should be
considered. They do not prescribe fixed trigger points requiring closure at a
specific river level. Instead, they describe indicative river levels and associated
impacts, with decisions made based on the overall risk picture at the time.
The Catchment Guide indicates that at approximately 4.75 metres at the
Birchville river gauge, bridge closures should be considered. At higher levels,
additional risks are identified, including potential impacts from debris and scour
affecting bridge structures and surrounding transport connections. The Local
Emergency Response Plan supports this by outlining the broader emergency
management approach, including movement control, road closures, and
coordination between agencies.
On the evening of 20 April 2026, Emergency Operations Centre records show that
the Hutt River peak was forecast to reach approximately 4.7 to 5.4 metres at
Birchvil e between midnight and 2am. This forecast range aligned with the level
at which bridge closures are considered. The decision to close Kennedy Good
Bridge and Mel ing Bridge was made in the context of this forecast, alongside
other factors including a regional state of emergency, a Red Heavy Rain Warning,
elevated river levels, the anticipated overnight timing of peak flows, existing and
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forecast surface flooding, and the potential for debris and scour to affect bridge
safety. Consideration was also given to maintaining safe access for emergency
services and avoiding the risk of communities becoming isolated if conditions
worsened.
The situation reports, status report, and event log included with this response
record that the bridges were closed at approximately 8pm on 20 April 2026.
These records also show that the bridges were initial y expected to be
reassessed the fol owing morning. However, river levels peaked lower than
forecast and began to recede earlier than anticipated. As conditions improved
and the overall risk reduced, the bridges were reopened from approximately
3:40am on 21 April 2026. This sequence of decisions is reflected consistently
across the operational records and timeline documents provided.
Information about river levels during the event is included within the released
situation reports, status report, and event log. Greater Wel ington Regional
Council is the authoritative source for river gauge and flow data, and this
information is publicly available through its environmental data services.
In relation to engineering advice, no separate formal engineering assessment
was carried out prior to the bridges being reopened. While initial planning
anticipated a morning inspection, this did not occur because river levels did not
reach levels that would warrant a structural assessment. The decision to reopen
the bridges was made through the Emergency Operations Centre based on the
observed reduction in river levels and the associated decrease in risk.
Internal communications and operational records relevant to the decision-
making process are included in the documents provided. The decision to close
the bridges was made within the Emergency Operations Centre during activation
of the response and was primarily the result of real-time operational discussions
rather than formal written correspondence. As such, the contemporaneous
record of decision-making is captured in situation reports, status reports, the
event log, and supporting operational material, rather than through email
correspondence.
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There is no single bridge-specific protocol requiring these bridges to be closed
at a fixed river level. The decision on this occasion was a precautionary
operational response taking into account forecast conditions and the broader
emergency management framework in place at the time, and with consideration
of public safety front of mind.
In response to your question about previous comparable events, relevant
information held by Council is included in the documents provided. Greater
Wellington Regional Council maintains the authoritative river level and flow
datasets, which are publicly available at
: Live Data Viewer | Environmental Data
Dashboard, and may be able to provide more comprehensive information if
required.
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this
response. Information about how to make a complaint is available at:
Office of
the Ombudsman - Complaints, or freephone 0800 802 602.
Please note that this response to your information request may be published on
Hutt City Council’s website:
Proactive releases - Hutt City Council. Ngā mihi nui
Rebekah van der Splinter
Senior Advisor, Official Information and Privacy
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Appendix 1: Documents for release
Number Date
Document Type
Title/Subject Line
Redaction Grounds
1
20 April 2026 Situation Report
Severe Weather Event
Released to you in ful .
2
20 April 2026 Situation Report
Severe Weather Event (1)
Released to you in ful .
3
20 April 2026 Situation Report
Severe Weather Event (2)
Released to you in ful .
Social Messaging
4
21 April 2026
No title
Released to you in ful .
Excerpts
Severe weather event (rainfall
5
21 April 2026
Status Report
Released to you in ful .
thunderstorm)
Some information has been
6
Not dated
Document
Flood action matrix
withheld under s7(2)(j).
7
Not dated
Document
Hutt River Catchment Guide
Released to you in ful .
Some information has been
Activation timeline of key
8
Not dated
Spreadsheet
withheld under s7(2)(a) and
events
s7(2)(j).
Some information has been
9
Not dated
Spreadsheet
Event Log
withheld under s7(2)(a) and
s7(2)(j).
Severe Weather Event key event Some information has been
10
Not dated
Spreadsheet
timeline
withheld under s7(2)(a).
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