Damage to Muriwai properties in the wake of the Auckland Anniversary weekend floods. Photo: RNZ / Nick Monro
Aucklanders who have spent the year dealing with storm-affected homes are getting some relief, as the first of the council property buyouts get underway.
Auckland Council has been working with insurers and homeowners on a buyout scheme, with more than 60 category 3 property owners now working through the voluntary buyout process, after storms lashed the region earlier this year.
Over 500 homes have been categorised, with the purchase of the first four homes in the scheme expected to be completed today.
But many are still in limbo.
Muriwai resident Caroline Bell-Booth could not believe a buyout had come before Christmas.
"To have settled just before Christmas, whilst I thought it was possible I didn't truly think that it would be probable, however, I'm truly delighted and utterly relieved to have reached this milestone," she said.
Bell-Booth said her home and the surrounding area were badly damaged during Cyclone Gabrielle.
"A landslip from the council reserve behind our house, the land failed and it fell down on our house," she said.
"A number of our neighbours' homes were crushed, ours was inundated but remained upright."
Bell-Booth said the remaining cliff face above her home became a life-threatening risk.
She is urging Aucklanders to look out for their storm-affected friends over the summer break.
"Drop them 'round a bottle of wine or a box of choccies or something because they are in so much pain right now," she said.
"They are in so much distress, they have no certainty, and they're financially strained like you wouldn't believe."
Auckland Council deputy recovery manager Mace Ward said it was a huge achievement.
"This is a huge milestone for the recovery office, but more importantly a really huge milestone for family that have been impacted by the severe weather events of early 2023," he said.
A cliffside at Princes Street, Northcote, which collapsed after heavy rain in Auckland. Photo: Supplied / Caleb Bird
Ward said getting to this point had been a challenge.
"The challenge this year has been to do property level survey work and investigation across the city, for both landslips and flooding.
"That's required interactions with over 2200 property owners."
Ward said council planned to have 80 percent of the categorisations completed by March.
But for Louise Bint in Northcote, that was still a long way off.
"I'm feeling a bit stressed ultimately, because the process has been drawn out this long, 11 months already, and we are no further ahead," she said.
Her home was damaged in a landslide, and she said the process needed to be sped up.
"Urgency is paramount if we're not going to have people returning to their damaged properties, particularly ones that are unsafe, but that have no other option than potentially living on the streets," she said.
"Most people in Auckland would not be able to afford two properties."