Buller and Marlborough floods: 'There is still stress and anxiety across the community'

Communities across the Marlborough and Buller districts continue to recover, a year on from severe flooding in the region.

Heavy rain caused a state of emergency to be declared in both districts in July 2021, with thousands of residents forced to evacuate their homes.

The area saw significant damage.

Westport's flood defences were breached requiring 826 properties and over 2,000 people to be evacuated.

Buller District Council chief executive Sharon Mason said more than 200 homes in Westport town required repairs, after they were deemed uninhabitable following the storm.

Temporary accommodation assistance was required for 267 families initially, with district council stating progress was being made towards longer-term solutions for 41 families who still needed it.

However, Mason said the mental and emotional impacts were ongoing.

"There is still stress and anxiety across the community. It is natural and understandable post a natural hazard event... the Buller Flood Recovery team, working with local NGO's, has put together a lot of community supports that I hope people are aware of such as the community hub and navigators. Those services have already helped over 2,000 people and continue to offer support," he added.

In Marlborough, the wild weather resulted in the second largest local road recovery project in New Zealand, after the Christchurch Earthquake.

Waka Kotahi's Marlborough roads manager Steve Murrin called the scale of the destruction unprecedented.

"There was 460km of road damaged during the event. That's the distance between Blenheim and Timaru."

He said over the last year road repairs had progressed well - over 160,000 hours worth so far.

"There are other significant sections of road about to be handed back, as their recovery is completed."

The council had announced barge subsidy would be increased by 50 percent for eligible services, to further support the Outer Sounds community while construction continued.

But community leaders in both areas said ongoing weather events could hamper recovery efforts.

"The full programme of recovery works is due to be finished in June 2023. However, as this week has shown, we have to be mindful of bad weather and its potential to cause further damage," Murrin said.

Mason expressed similar concerns after further flooding in February and this week's storm cause district wide damage.

"I feel this is an important time to recognise the challenges our community has and continues to face, acknowledge the strength of the community and recognise that people have rallied together to face up to and respond to these challenges."