In New Zealand, regional councils govern an area made up of several district councils. The regional council that governs Canterbury is Environment Canterbury, known as ECan. One of ECan’s mandates is flood protection. Finding a balance between protecting critical infrastructure and private property from floods is increasingly complex as this often conflicts with biodiversity and water quality mandates. Climate change is now adding a new wrinkle. NIWA predictions are for more frequent and more powerful floods, and yet the recent legal definition of a braided river confine the natural braidplain to even less than historical flood widths. This issue is illustrated in the 2019 report on the values of the Rangitata River:

In summary, river encroachment is the single largest known and quantified threat to braided rivers in Canterbury… This matter is in need of urgent attention….  Given the potential ecological risks and considerable uncertainty posed by climate change, there is an increased need to better protect and buffer braided river ecosystems. In practice, this means reducing existing pressures, such as river encroachment, water quality degradation, and exotic plants and animals, to “provide space” for the new pressures associated with climate change on native species. On the ground, this might involve such activities as evaluating the placement of stopbanks, to provide more space for braidplain development, or removal of introduced salmonids from selected high-value native fish habitats. – Rangitata River Catchment Conservation Values