Key Takeaways
- The repair bill after the floods in the Nelson Tasman region is estimated at $48m, with around $12m in costs to the council.
- The total cost of damage to river infrastructure was between $23m and $25m, while the roading damage was just over $20m.
- The cost to private landowners is not known, but Insurance Council of New Zealand figures showed there were 2807 claims totalling $37.4m from the June floods in the South Island.
- A report by the Office of the Auditor-General found local councils need to be doing more to prepare for flooding and to mitigate the risks it poses to communities.
- The region’s rivers will take around 18 months to two years to rebuild, with the council working to improve its records for future monitoring, maintenance, and insurance purposes.
Introduction to the Floods
The floods in the Nelson Tasman region have had a significant impact on the community, with the repair bill estimated at $48m. According to Nelson Tasman Emergency Management Group recovery manager Richard Kirby, around three-quarters of this amount will be covered by insurance payouts or government contributions, leaving around $12m in costs to the council. The total cost of damage to river infrastructure was between $23m and $25m, while the roading damage was just over $20m. The cost to private landowners is not known, but Insurance Council of New Zealand figures showed there were 2807 claims totalling $37.4m from the June floods in the South Island, bringing the total cost close to $100m.
Report by the Office of the Auditor-General
A report tabled in Parliament in early December found local councils need to be doing more to prepare for flooding and to mitigate the risks it poses to communities. The report, by the Office of the Auditor-General, looked specifically at the Tasman District and identified several weaknesses, including the council’s understanding of the condition of its flood protection infrastructure and the lack of a regular schedule of inspections. The report made several recommendations, including that the council prepare a framework to prioritise the maintenance and capital work needed for its flood protection infrastructure, along with improvements to its asset management processes.
River Infrastructure Repairs
Many of the region’s rivers reached record levels in the floods, with the Motueka River downstream of Tapawera and the Wai-iti River south of Belgrove being the worst-affected. Kirby said the rivers team had done a stocktake of the river network and prioritised the critical areas that were susceptible in future floods. Around $6m had been spent on river work, so far. The council is working to improve its records for future monitoring, maintenance, and insurance purposes, and it is expected that it will take around 18 months to two years to rebuild the river infrastructure.
Road Repairs
Since the storms, there have been 4500 roading jobs, with 1000 left to address, and close to 30 people out working on the roads each day. The storms caused several slips on State Highway 60 over the Tākaka Hill, which was down to a single lane in parts, with six sites badly damaged and in need of significant repairs. NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi system manager for Nelson-Tasman, Rob Service, said extensive work was done to rebuild and strengthen sections of road, address erosion risks, improve drainage, and stabilise the ground. The road was reopened to two lanes before Christmas. However, four roads across the district remain closed, including Haycock Rd, Quail Valley Rd, Gannet Heights, and Graham Valley South Branch Rd.
Impact on the Rural Community
The floods have had a significant impact on the rural community, with many farmers still having recovery work to do. Top of the South Rural Support Trust chairman Richard Kempthorne said it had been a busy six months, and many farmers had land beside rivers and waterways and had been affected in various ways. The trust had spoken to 220 farmers, many of whom had gravel, silt, and debris washed up on their farms, fences destroyed, or land chunks lost to swollen rivers. Kempthorne said that Enhanced Task Force Green, a Ministry of Social Development initiative, had used two teams of nine working for the last six months to clean up properties. However, some landowners had struggled to know what work they were legitimately able to do to their properties in recovering from the floods, and what required consent, while others were grappling with the changes needed to mitigate against future severe weather.
Ongoing Recovery Efforts
The recovery efforts are ongoing, with the council and other agencies working to rebuild and strengthen the region’s infrastructure. The Department of Conservation (DoC) is working to repair the Graham Valley route, which provides access to the Kahurangi National Park. A major section of the road was undercut by the Graham River, and the road has remained closed since. DoC Motueka operations manager Chris Golding said work was underway to get the road open again as soon as possible to restore access to Flora carpark, which is the gateway to Kahurangi National Park’s most popular alpine walks. The final cost of the repair is not yet known, but it will be funded by Tasman District Council, DoC, and NZTA. The recovery efforts will take time, but the community is working together to rebuild and strengthen the region’s infrastructure.