Julie Ambrose and Geoff Moffett with the exposed slope behind their home. Photo: RNZ / Samantha Gee
Nelson City Council has offered to buy out seven more homes deemed unsafe to live in after the August 2022 storm, in a cost-sharing deal with the government.
One of those homeowners, Moana Ave resident Geoff Moffett said after nearly two years in limbo, it was a relief to receive a letter advising he and partner Julie were eligible for a buyout offer.
"We are leaving a home of 19 years behind so it's sad for us to say goodbye to this house and to see it in its current state is pretty gutting.
"At least we have something to look forward to now in our latter years."
He said it had been a difficult process and there needed to be a re-think of insurance and EQC levies, as it was clear there "wasn't enough money in the can" to look after people in situations like theirs.
Their home was undamaged, but the exposed slope the storm left above their property posed such a risk it had been deemed unsafe to live in.
"We would never have expected what happened here 19 years ago, but if you are living in a high risk area you probably have to be prepared to pay a little more insurance, but insurance companies are looking askance at these properties now and that is the concern that they will no longer insure them."
The couple would soon be able to look for a new home, but it was not likely to be in the Tāhunanui Slump Zone, or on a hillside.
The council has bought out 12 properties so far - 10 on Brook Street and two homes damaged by slips originating on council land which were unable to be remediated.
This latest offer would bring the total number of buyouts to 19.
Minister Mark Mitchell visited Moffett's property today and some of the sites still being remediated after the August 2022 storm.
"There were people here that were heavily impacted ... the human cost is awful."
Nelson red-stickered homeowners Geoff Moffett and Julie Ambrose meeting Emergency Managment Minister Mark Mitchell and Nelson Mayor Nick Smith at their property in Moana Ave, which is eligible for a buyout. Photo: RNZ / Samantha Gee
He said the Emergency Management Bill was being re-written to ensure faster recovery from severe weather events.
"I don't think any of us are happy with the timelines, you can never get things done quickly enough when people are out of their homes and facing that uncertainty."
Nelson Mayor Nick Smith said the August 2022 storm was the worst natural disaster to hit the region in 50 years, resulting in more than 400 landslides across the region.
He said the biggest nightmare for council was that it left a number of homes unsafe to live in and not eligible for a payout from insurance if the homes were not damaged, which meant residents were left in limbo with no practical way to remediate their properties.
He said the community was frustrated it had not been offered the same help as those similarly affected in the North Island who received assistance after Cyclone Gabrielle.
When the government came through to offer $6m for property buyouts, it was conditional on the Nelson ratepayers matching it.
Elected members expressed concerns about setting a precedent in future in future disasters but accepted the offer in principle last October, subject to consulting with the community on the buyout element as part of the long-term plan.
More than 850 people submitted on the issue, with 56 percent supporting the council's proposal to accept the government offer and buy the properties out.
"The council was in broad agreement to get on with this deal last November and we could have got on with it then if it wasn't for the legislative barrier, it's effectively meant for families affected they've have eight more months of tenterhooks.
Smith asked Minister Mitchell to consider that powers under the emergency management legislation be extended from the emergency phase, into the recovery phase, to help resolve issues after natural disasters, faster.
He said when dealing with recovery work from a civil emergency where homeowners were left in limbo, councils should be able to access faster consultation processes.
"Councils could save money and time if we also had access to fast-track processes for financing and consenting recovery work as we do for the emergency phase of a natural disaster.
Smith said the bureaucratic processes of the Local Government Act delayed this agreement by eight months and he wanted to work on a reform of the legislation with the government, to enable recovery work to be sped up."