The works comprise river and drainage works on the main Wairau floodplain downstream of the Waihopai confluence. This includes the Wairau River, Wairau Diversion and tributaries such as the Opawa, Taylor, Pukaka, Omaka etc. and the Council's 160km of drains and minor watercourses. Picton is also included. It also does, from time to time, include rivers outside the main Wairau Floodplain.

The work is predominantly heavy machinery with associated labour and can include flood emergency monitoring and activities. The work is generally maintenance and flood damage work but may also include new works. The work includes:

• Quarried rock cartage and placement as bank protection
• Repair and reconstruction of rock armoured training banks and groynes, including rock recovery from damaged banks and adjacent riverbed
• River channel bulldozing work for diversions, channel shaping, channel clearing, etc.
• Channel and drain excavation or weed removal by an excavator with appropriate bucket
• Willow and other tree removals, often using an excavator with "thumb" attachment
• Gabion/floodwall construction and repair
• Rail iron retard construction
• Gravel extraction, cartage and stockpiling
• Earth, tree or debris cartage
• Stopbank and training bank maintenance, construction and upgrading
• Maintaining berms, access tracks, planting, illegal activity control/public safety
• Maintaining Irrigation Intakes
• Proactive Response – day to day maintenance activities
• River track maintenance
• Culvert and floodgate installation and maintenance

• Emergency sandbagging