Flood recovery package: Gisborne mayor 'relieved' for community

A recovery package to help Tai Rāwhiti locals in the wake of extreme weather events is a step in the right direction, its mayor says.

Gisborne mayor Rehette Stoltz said she was happy that people would soon be able to have their say on a payout deal to repair damage caused by events such as Cyclone Gabrielle.

The recovery package, by local and central government, is worth more than $200 million.

It includes $15m for buyouts of the most severely damaged homes and a $30m interest free loan for the council.

"We are relieved, it is a step in the right direction," Stoltz told Morning Report.

I think it's fair to say 2023 has not been very kind to our region and there are people that have been waiting for this, so this is in the right direction, we can hopefully give them a little more certainty as we move forward."

Stoltz said the buy-out policy and process would be finalised in the next few weeks, and then the community would be given the opportunity to have its say.

"It is really complex. It is not something councils have done before.

"We need to consult with our community on changes to our Long-term Plan so we hope to be able to take this to our community in about four weeks' time, early October."

Gisborne District Council said 32 homes in Tai Rāwhiti are classed as Category 3, and therefore eligible for the buyout scheme.

It was an increase on the initial number of 17 released by the council in June.

There are also about 1800 homes in Category 2, meaning better flood protection is needed to make them safe.

There was "always a possibility" the classification for certain locations would change and could be deemed no longer liveable, Stoltz said.

"At this stage, we have clear classifications. There are a few properties that we're still working with but as you've seen, we have seen so many events just in this year and we don't know what the rest of 2023 will bring for us."

In terms of rates, Stoltz said they could be kept low in the short term because of the interest free loan - but it would need to be paid back at some stage.

However, the region's roading network was "extremely fragile" and more investment was needed to be able to fix that, she said.

"We have a massive work programme ahead of us, so this a move in the right direction but we will be having further discussions with the government, especially around our very, very fragile roading network."

Package not 'perfect', but a 'good' deal

Meanwhile, communities hit hard by Auckland's January and February storms will soon have their say on a $2 billion cost-sharing package to repair the damage and help Aucklanders move on with their lives.

The government will pay just over $1b to help repair roads, build flood resilience and meet buy-out costs for 700 homes that are no longer fit to live in.

Auckland Council will match that sum, subject to changes following public consultation.

Manukau ward councillor Lotu Fuli said the plan was not a perfect package but it is a good deal.

"Of course it's not a perfect package but the mayor and certainly all the councillors around the table think it is a good package.

"We have reached a good deal, similar to other regions around the country that have been badly affected by the floods and the weather events, so I think it will definitely provide some certainty and relief to many of our families."

Fuli said the council had agreed to a short consultation of two weeks from mid-September.

This was so work could get underway as soon as possible - and council was aiming to be speaking directly to affected families by the end of October.

Despite the recovery packages announced, Finance Minister Grant Robertson said the focus in the future has to be on building flood resilience, rather than paying out for damaged homes.

Robertson told Morning Report that the ad hoc way of buying out owners of storm homes was not sustainable and not quick enough for home owners.