Wednesday, 21 August 2024 15:25

Further support to speed up recovery

Written by  Staff Reporters
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell.

Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has announced $16.8 million in Budget 2024 funding to support councils in accelerating recovery efforts following the severe weather events of 2023.

The funding comes from the Cyclone Recovery Capability Fund announced in Budget 2024.

“Councils have said they require additional expertise to speed up their priority recovery projects, and this funding enables exactly that,” Mitchell says.

He says the money will be distributed to 12 councils, for 50 separate initiatives which councils identified to help get faster outcomes for their communities.

“This includes additional geotechnical expertise to speed up decision-making on landslide-affected properties, as well as resources to accelerate roading recovery, bridge repairs and flood protection projects in affected regions,” Mitchell says.

“Recovery is an ongoing process, and we recognise councils are working hard to implement the necessary measures to support recovery in their communities,” he adds.

“We are committed to supporting our councils and communities as they continue to rebuild and recover from the devastating impacts of last year’s severe weather events.”

The announcement was welcomed by Hawke’s Bay Regional Council, which allocated $2.18 million.

Regional Council chair Hinewai Ormbsy says the additional support will help speed up progress on the flood mitigation work already underway in partnership with Government.

“We know how important it is to our communities to have these flood mitigation projects completed as quickly as possible, and this additional funding should help us achieve that for them,” says Ormsby.

“We appreciate people in the affected communities of Wairoa, Whirinaki, Waiohiki, Omahu, Pākowhai and Pōrangahau who are waiting for these projects to be finished so they can have more certainty about the way forward. We hope this will help reassure them that we are doing everything we can to complete the projects as soon as possible.”

More like this

Cyclone Gabrielle lessons from Young Grower of the Year

If there was a silver lining in the tragedy that was Cyclone Gabrielle, for New Zealand Young Grower of the Year, Grace Fulford, it was the tremendous sense of community and seeing first-hand what good leadership looks like.

Featured

'One more push' to eliminate FE

Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) is calling on farmers from all regions to take part in the final season of the Sheep Poo Study aiming to build a clearer picture of how facial eczema (FE) affects farms across New Zealand.

Winston Peters questions Fonterra divestment plan

Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has joined the debate around the proposed sale of Fonterra’s consumer and related businesses, demanding answers from the co-operative around its milk supply deal with the buyer, Lactalis.

National

Machinery & Products

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Quid prod quo?

OPINION: Ageing lefty Chris Trotter reckons that the decision to delay recognition of Palestinian statehood is more than just a fit…

Deadwood

OPINION: A mate of yours truly recently met someone at a BBQ who works at a big consulting firm who spent…

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter