Nelson Tasman is a step closer to having its own weather radar, with a site near Horoirangi Peak selected for the long-awaited project.
The radar will be built near Drumduan’s Horoirangi Peak, about 15km northeast of Nelson and 630m above sea level. MetService says it is on track to be operational by mid-2027.
The Government committed up to $5 million to fast-track the project following the severe weather events that hit the region in July 2025.
Speaking to media in Nelson on Friday morning, Associate Transport and South Island Minister James Meager said the radar was “a long time coming” for the region.
“When those devastating floods came through last year, and the Prime Minister visited with Mark Mitchell, he heard loud and clear that the community needs a weather radar.”
Nelson Tasman has limited radar coverage and currently relies largely on the Wellington radar, which cannot adequately monitor parts of north-west Tasman.
MetService general manager observing systems Kevin Alder said the Wellington radar’s beam effectively shoots over Nelson, while surrounding ranges block important low-level weather information.
“A radar within the region just completely eliminates that blind spot.”
Nelson Mayor Nick Smith said the announcement was a “real relief”.
“The hope and the ambition with the new radar is that we will have better information to be able to make good calls.”
Tasman Mayor Tim King said the new radar would add resilience to the region’s existing weather monitoring systems.
“This provides a real degree of resilience because it’s separated from the actual weather event itself.”
Tim said the councils had already invested heavily in rain-gauging and river-monitoring networks, but those systems could be damaged or become inoperable during major weather events.
The new radar will use Doppler dual-polarisation technology, providing more accurate rainfall estimates and enhanced weather monitoring.
Nelson Tasman has experienced several major flooding events in recent years, including five states of emergency since 2011.
James said the radar would not stop severe weather but would give communities better information to prepare and respond.
“It's that old saying that forewarned is forearmed.”
Full coverage will be available in the Nelson Weekly, Waimea Weekly and Motueka Guardian on Wednesday.
