Aerial view of Masterton. File photo. Photo: rescuedave/123RF
Wairarapa councils are set to receive $8 million from the government to help with flood protection, including money for relocating houses.
Minister for Emergency Management and Recovery Mark Mitchell says last year's severe weather has highlighted the need for greater flood resilience across the region.
The money will be split between five separate projects, but the bulk of it will go to protecting homes in Tīnui, about 40km east of Masterton.
The $4.8m will go towards helping homes identified by the Masterton District Council as being directly impacted by the severe weather.
The improvements could include raising the home, reinforcing a bund wall or moving the dwelling to a more suitable area on the property.
Of the fund, $1.25m will be for upgrading the early flood warning systems, including engineering assessments and stilling well improvements at critical flood warning sites.
And $1.3m will be for protecting properties on Cockburn Street in Masterton from inflows of sewerage in heavy rainfall.
A bund will be designed and built around about a hundred properties in the Flat Point settlement on the east coast of the Carterton District Council, $350,000 will be given to this work.
Also, $411,000 will go towards stabilising the edge of the Motuwaireka Stream at Riversdale to avoid further erosion.