The most challenging work of my first nine months as Mayor has been dealing with the aftermath of last August’s storm.
My goals have been to support the affected families, get the infrastructure repaired and to build back better so Nelson is more able to withstand future events. I have been pushing to advance this work as quickly as possible but also trying to keep the costs manageable for ratepayers.
I have been frustrated at the level of support from Government. It was quite unfair that support was being provided to those affected by Cyclone Gabrielle and the Auckland floods but not Nelson. So, it was welcome news last week that the Government accepted our arguments and has agreed to provide more than $12.3 million in support.
We have families in crisis as a consequence of the mortgage costs on their damaged home going through the roof and their insurance for alternative housing running out, leaving them also facing the high cost of rent in Nelson’s tight market. They will now be able to receive an accommodation allowance from Government on the same terms as North Islanders.
We also now have 50 per cent support for dealing with those properties where the cost of fixing them is more than they are worth. Ratepayers could not afford the buyouts without Government’s $6 million of support. These families were in limbo but we now have a way forward.
I am also pleased the Government has agreed to help Council with 50 per cent of the betterment portion of fixing the 18 landslides on Council-owned land. This $6 million had previously been declined. Government should contribute as the improved resilience saves future costs for Government as well as Council and our community.
Nelson has an ongoing challenge of managing NZ’s largest urban landslide, the Tāhunanui Slump, with 120 homes of which 45 suffered damage last August. I was frustrated that Government was not supporting ongoing geotechnical monitoring of this landslide and welcome the $300,000 funding to ensure this occurs.
Council still faces a huge bill of more than $50 million from the storm, but this deal offers ratepayers some relief and a path forward for the worst affected families.
