Central government has offered a package of recovery measures for Nelson following the severe weather event in August 2022, including a buyout deal for damaged homes and 50% of the funding required to remediate slips so the land they are on is more resilient to future events.

Homeowners who are experiencing acute financial hardship as they are not able to return to their homes will also be eligible for an accommodation allowance in line with that received by people in similar circumstances in the North Island following Cyclone Gabrielle.

Further funding of $300,000 has been provided to cover a 10-year monitoring programme for the Tahunanui slump.

Nelson Mayor Nick Smith says he is relieved that the Government has offered equivalent storm damage support for Nelson as for North Island affected communities.

“It means Nelson families still displaced where their insurance has run out for paying for alternative housing will get an accommodation allowance. These families are doing it very tough with mortgage costs soaring on their unliveable damaged home and paying rent on another house in Nelson’s tight housing market.

“It also means the government will assist 50/50 on buyouts of up to 14 properties where the cost to make them safe exceeds their value. I will now need to progress approvals for Council’s 50% share at our Council meeting in September. These families were in limbo, but we now have a pathway forward.

“The Government has also agreed to my request for 50% of the betterment costs of improving the resilience of 18 landslides on Council land. This offsets a $6m cost for all Nelson ratepayers. This funding was previously declined but the reversal is welcome.”

Mayor Smith extended his thanks to Finance Minister Grant Robertson for this support and Nelson MP Rachel Boyack for her advocacy for Nelson.

“I also want to publicly acknowledge Group Manager Infrastructure Alec Louverdis and the NCC storm recovery team, the DPMC Cyclone Recovery team, and fellow NCC Storm Recovery Taskforce Members Councillors Trudie Brand and Matty Anderson for helping achieve this further step on the road to recovery.”

Nelson City Council will decide whether to accept the Government’s offer at its next Council meeting in September.

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