Thursday 22 December, 2016

Further financial assistance for June 2015 flood damage received

Horizons Regional Council has received further assistance from Central Government for flood damage repairs following the June 2015 flood event.

As with recent natural disasters in other parts of the country, Horizons can claim some of the damage cost back from Central Government under the provisions of the National Civil Defence Emergency Management Plan. So far Horizons has received $480,000 through their first application.

Horizons Catchment Operations Committee chair Cr David Cotton says this second payment totals $920,000, a welcome boost for a number of schemes covering a range of different areas.

“The June 2015 storm impacted a number of communities and in some cases we’ve had to stage the repair work as the payments from Central Government have been received,” says Cr Cotton.

Group manager river management Ramon Strong says the last of the repair work is either now underway or about to commence shortly.

“We hope to complete the work early in the New Year and be reimbursed by Central Government by the end of the financial year. At this stage we anticipate the total value of payments received from Central Government to be in excess of $2 million.

“We’d planned around receiving a response in 2017 given all that the Ministry of Civil Defence has on it’s plate with the Kaikoura earthquake but the approval process through Minister Brownlee has been seamless. It translates to a welcome Xmas present for Scheme ratepayers in the Whanganui, Rangitikei, Manawatu and Tararua Districts,” he says.

The claim has been staged to allow for the wide-ranging nature of the damage. In some areas the reinstatement has been relatively simple, replacing like with like, while in other areas the opportunity has been taken to strengthen river works to reduce the risk of future damage.

This payment is the second of three with the first payment of $480,000 being received in early July.

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