September 19th, 2024
The New Zealand government, in its bid to boost resilience against future extreme weather events, has announced a substantial investment of $100 million for flood protection. The funding is a part of the Budget 2023 Flood and Cyclone recovery package and will be made available to regions affected by the recent North Island extreme weather events, according to a government media release.
“Flooding and debris has destroyed homes and businesses, cut off communities and caused widespread damage," said Kieran McAnulty, speaking on the recent adverse weather conditions.
The funding, according to McAnulty, is designed to bolster local solutions for flood protection, with infrastructure such as stopbanks playing a key role.
“This $100 million is on top of the standard support the Government provides to councils to repair and rebuild following a disaster – this includes covering 60% of costs of damaged essential infrastructure owned by councils,” McAnulty added.
Commenting on the government's previous flood protection measures, Kiri Allan emphasised their effectiveness during Cyclone Gabrielle.
"Without this previous investment, the level of flooding and destruction would have been significantly higher," Allan noted. "The government will continue to build even greater resilience in our regions to provide better protection for local communities and economies.”
The recovery package also addresses the needs of rural communities severely hit by the cyclone.
“Our rural communities are not only the backbone of our economy, but they’re also a support network in times of crisis,” said McAnulty.
In light of this, the government is investing $35.4 million to support the safety and wellbeing of farmers and livestock in cyclone-damaged areas.
Businesses and workers in the affected regions will also benefit from additional employment and social support. Carmel Sepuloni highlighted that "the labour markets in Hawkes Bay and on the East Coast have changed," due to the extreme weather events, and the government's package is aimed to help people retrain for the jobs that will be required during the recovery and rebuild process.
An additional $6 million is earmarked for the Food Secure Communities programme, which Sepuloni explains will "support community food providers, such as food banks and food rescue organisations, to meet the increased demand on their services.”
The recovery package also includes $5 million for extending community support funds, a new jobs and skills hub in Gisborne, and a further $1 million towards Enhanced Taskforce Green for ongoing clean-up efforts.