Ecology Support to Road and Rail Construction after the Kaikōura Earthquake

The 2016 Kaikōura magnitude 7.8 earthquake caused extensive damage and permanent landscape change across North Canterbury, including coastal uplift, slope instability, and widespread disruption to transport corridors along State Highway 1 and the Main North Line rail network.

As part of the North Canterbury Transport Infrastructure Recovery (NCTIR) alliance, Instream provided freshwater ecology support for the reconstruction and resilience works along the affected transport network. The programme required rapid response alongside long-term environmental management in highly dynamic river, coastal, and valley systems.

Our work included fish passage design advice and fish salvage alongside contractors working to tight timeframes. We worked closely with engineers and environmental specialists to integrate ecological constraints into the rebuild of bridges, culverts, road alignments, and adjacent infrastructure. The programme required balancing urgent infrastructure restoration with protection of sensitive freshwater habitats and ensuring long-term ecological resilience within a significantly altered landscape.

The result was the rapid reinstatement of critical infrastructure, whilst protecting innumerable waterways.