|
Nic Peet provided an update which covered:
·
Top
level highlight from the government’s budget is one of financial
restraint for the next few years.
· Transport – the government set
aside $609M for recovery works from the cyclone which is to reinstate state
highways to the standard before the cyclone. Anything else, including
improvements, has to compete for different funding and requires that a
business case is developed and submitted to Waka Kotahi.
· Kaupapa
Māori
pathway for whenua Māori has taken a very long time and although money
has been added to the budget it is quite hidden. HBRC continues to work with
Tangoio and Petane marae.
· An additional $20M to speed up
recovery projects and $10M for silt recovery was announced as part of the
government’s budget.
· National Resilience Plan funding applications
are now closed but monies already allocated are secure.
· Further discussions are needed about
how to implement outcomes of reviews and overhaul Emergency Management locally,
regionally and nationally.
· HBRC’s three year plan
decisions are to be made at an extraordinary Regional Council meeting on 18
June and the TTOH letter will be included with other applications for
financial assistance.
· The Council’s strategic plan
refresh over the next 6-9 months will commence shortly and input from our
Māori partners will be sought.
· Work to move category 2 properties
to category 1 – stress to government that you can only go as fast as
the community can cope with because of the impacts they have on the
community. Hard infrastructure is only one part of the flood resilience picture.
· The story of Wairoa started with two
communities either side of the river. Currently Tapiwai has the upper hand
and the rivermouth is at Whakamahi Lagoon, where there’s mud and silt
creating a bottleneck and flooding Ngamotu Lagoon. The bar needs to be
maintained so that the river drains properly and recommends that a new bar is
dug closer to Ngamotu Lagoon. It is also requested that a seawall is built at
Rangi-Houa /Pilot Hill to protect it from erosion.
·
The
independent review of the HBRC flood and drainage schemes is due to be
reported to Council at the end of July.
|
