The Government is expected to introduce emergency legislation to Parliament next week to allow Kaikōura to recover quickly from last week's severe earthquake.
The emergency legislation for Kaikōura is likely to be similar to that used in post-earthquake Christchurch. Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King
A cross-party meeting was held on Wednesday to discuss the move, which would give those carrying out recovery work the power to override laws, such as to dredge the Kaikōura marina or remove large amounts of rubble from the roads.
It would also fast-track new civil defence regulations passed in Parliament earlier this month, but were not due to come into effect until May.
View RNZ's full coverage of the earthquakes here.
The emergency legislation was likely to be similar to that used in post-earthquake Christchurch. It would give recovery agencies the power to close roads, keep areas clear of the public and do any necessary work.
A demolition sign on the main street in Kaikōura. Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King
Acting Civil Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee said the exact details were still being worked through.
"I would expect that we will get to a position, later in the week, where we will have a bill that would be, perhaps, dealt with next week."
"But I don't want to get ahead of cross-party discussions. I think it's important that when you're doing legislation like this, you have as broader input as you can from all political parties."
Mr Brownlee said they were still getting to the bottom of what was needed in Kaikōura.
Acting Civil Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee said the exact details of the legislation were still being worked through. Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King
"We just want to make sure we know what we are doing and to be certain that people can progress, putting things as much as possible back together within the law."
It followed suggestions that the Kaikōura harbour would have to be dredged and huge piles of rubble on roads pushed into the sea.
Labour leader Andrew Little said they discussed allowing Kaikōura to fix its marina without having to go through an 18-month resource consenting process.
"It's giving local officials the power to make decisions to get stuff fixed and going and moving."
Mr Little said getting roads cleared was a priority for the legislation.
The Kaikōura District Mayor Winston Gray knew nothing of the discussions, but said it was encouraging.
"Cause there are things we do need to do. We need to reinstate our harbour for tourism."
"The issue on the road. The spill that's come across parts of that road that's come into the sea already."
"That's an area where we need to make some decisions there to remove all the material along a narrow coastline is a real challenge," Mr Gray said.
Mr Gray did not want the overriding powers to be too draconian.
He said the most important thing was to get Kaikōura's economy back on track.
Parliament could go into urgency next week to pass the emergency legislation.