More financial help has been approved by the government for flood recovery in the Buller District.
Roads around Buller after heavy rains in February 2022. Photo: Supplied / Civil Defence
Extreme rainfall and flooding on the West Coast in February left roading and infrastructure across the district in a fragile state.
It followed the severe weather event in July 2021 that saw hundreds of homes in Westport damaged by floodwaters as residents were forced to flee.
Minister for Emergency Management Kiri Allan said two significant floods in short succession resulted in significant impacts for the community and council to manage.
Cabinet approved $294,000 and allowed the council to use underspend from an $8 million government funding package provided following the July 2021 floods.
"The government has been actively supporting the Buller District Council with its recovery since the first flood in July 2021 and we are continuing this work following these more recent events," Allan said.
The funding will be used to cover infrastructure and waste removal costs from the February floods.
"New Zealand faces some of the greatest natural hazard risks of any country in the world, and a changing climate means that we can expect frequent and more extreme weather events," Allan said.
"These events demonstrate the case for urgent action on climate change and why the proposed National Adaptation plan, which looks to support communities adapt to the unavoidable impacts of climate change, is so important."
The government would continue to support the council as the focus shifted from immediate recovery work to permanent repairs and longer-term resilience for the Buller District, Allan said.
West Coast-Tasman MP Damien O'Connor said the Buller District, in particular, had faced a number of challenges that warranted additional government support.
"The February event has placed an additional burden on a council who were already dealing with a significant recovery following the July 2021 flood event and having a small rating base, the council cannot absorb the costs of the floods easily."
A Future of Local Government Review is being undertaken to assess how local governments are operating, the future challenges they are facing, and how they can be addressed across the board.