We mark a year this week since the horrendous storm of last August. It was the worst civil emergency in Nelson in 50 years in which we had a year’s rain in four days. The anniversary is a time to reflect on the recovery progress and to focus on the work still ahead of us.
Fixing infrastructure has been a top priority. We started with vital lifelines such as the Maitai water main and SH6. We have removed thousands of tonnes of material from rivers, streams and tracks to restore flood capacity and walkways. Current work includes restoring two-way traffic on roads with Moana Ave fixed in July and Cable Bay Rd going out for tender.
We had over 250 households with significant damage. I am proud of our Council’s initiative in appointing navigators to support these families through the labyrinth of insurance and EQC claims. The flood damage claims are largely sorted. We are down to 13 red and 68 yellow-stickered properties, which are mostly affected by landslides.
Government gave good support during the emergency phase but I am grumpy at its refusal to provide support in three areas. It is wrong that Nelson families who have run out of insurance rental relief for alternative accommodation don’t get Government accommodation support but others in the same situation in the North Island do.
It is also unjust that Councils in the North Island are getting Government support for buying out unfixable properties when we are not. Government should also be supporting us with the cost of building back better.
I’m determined that Nelson learn from this event. We are making planning changes so we have better rules for managing the risks of floods and landslides. We need to invest in improved stormwater and flood mitigation. We also urgently need a rain radar in the region.
I am proud of the progress our community has made one year on. Big thanks to the awesome work of people such as our navigators and contractors. We must not lose sight of those still out of their homes or the tens of millions of repair work still to be done.
