I knew when I stood for Mayor 20 months ago, just after the August ’22 storm hit, that the toughest job this term would be fixing the city from the worst disaster in 50 years. Council last week approved, after 1537 submissions and two days of debate, its 10-year plan called “Beyond the Storm”. This Long Term Plan covers many issues but the most difficult was how we fix and fund the storm damage.
The total cost to Council from the storm is an estimated $89.5 million. The emergency response cost $2.3m, $19.3m is for repairing roads, $17.1m for river works, $11.1m for replacing damaged water services and $9.3m for fixing parks and streams. Stabilising landslides will cost $18.3 million and $12 million is for the buyouts of 17 landslide-affected homes.
This buyout proposal is the only practical solution to this nightmare problem. These homes have been red stickered because the landslides have made them unsafe to live in. The cost of the geotechnical work to make them safe exceeds their value. It is an anomaly that although insured, they are not eligible for full insurance or EQC payouts due to the homes having partial or no damage. If we do nothing, these families will be in limbo indefinitely and the properties will be left derelict. I was only prepared to back this buyout solution with the support of Government funding we secured last year.
The storm recovery work is about one-third done and will take a further three years to complete. The $300 per year storm recovery charge on rates bills over the next decade is required to pay for this work. It is a bitter pill to swallow but would have been $450 without the $29.7 million we have been able to secure from Government.
We revised the LTP last week to be better prepared for future disasters by repaying the debt in Council’s Emergency Fund. We are tightening the planning rules on where development can occur. We are investing tens of millions in better infrastructure. “Beyond the Storm” is a financially responsible plan for fixing our city and improving our resilience.
