November 15th, 2024
Cyclone Recovery Minister Grant Robertson has announced three categorisations of property in areas affected by Cyclone Gabrielle and January floods.
Robertson said, "In March, I asked the Cyclone Taskforce to work with insurance companies and local councils to build a picture of high-risk areas following Cyclone Gabrielle and January floods. That work has been progressing well, but is more advanced in some regions than others."
The three categories for flood and landslide affected properties are Low Risk, Managed Risk, and High Risk. Robertson emphasised the government's recognition of the need to provide certainty to individuals in affected areas, stating, "There's no one size fits all approach - each area is unique and influenced by a number of different factors which is why we are taking the time to get this right."
Communities will be consulted before any final decisions are made about which category properties are placed into. The government intends to complete assessments for Low Risk properties quickly, while decisions on Managed Risk and High Risk properties will take longer but be completed as soon as possible.
“We know it is stressful for residents waiting to hear about the future of their properties, and I want to assure people we are doing all we can to move through this process as quickly and effectively as we can.
"The worse thing would be for us to announce a property or community was in one category, only to change that shortly thereafter. We need to make the right decision not the quick one,” Robertson said.