Damage near Eskdale a few weeks after the February cyclone, which is the largest area zoned Category 3. Photo / Paul Taylor
Damage near Eskdale a few weeks after the February cyclone, which is the largest area zoned Category 3. Photo / Paul Taylor
A suburb-by-suburb breakdown of the region’s 287 Category 3 properties has been released.
In a major milestone for the Cyclone Gabrielle recovery, Hawke’s Bay Regional Council on Tuesday finalised its list of Category 3 homes.
Recovery can now move to the next stage of voluntary buyouts, which is expected to begin by the end of this month for flood-stricken homeowners.
Hawke’s Bay Today has been provided a full breakdown of which suburbs those 287 properties are in.
Category 3 properties are in flood-prone areas no longer deemed safe to live on, with an unacceptable risk to life. However, the land could be used for other purposes in future such as growing.
All Category 3 properties in Hawke’s Bay are in the Hastings and Napier districts and most are in the flood-devastated areas of Esk Valley and Pākōwhai.
Taradale and Omahu have only one Category 3 property each - near Springfield Rd and Taihape Rd respectively.
A council spokesperson said the two properties had previously been assessed as Category 2, but because the risk could not be mitigated, they were reassessed.
“Both [of those] properties had previously been assessed as part of wider Category 2 areas,” a Hawke’s Bay Regional Ccouncil spokesperson said.
“However, following further assessment and refinement of the provisional categorisations in accordance with the land categorisation methodology, the confirmed assessment of these properties was that the risk could not be sufficiently mitigated and that they would therefore be Category 3.”
The property owners have been approached for comment.
Other suburbs with Category 3 properties include Aropaoanui, Dartmoor, Rissington, Tangoio and the Eskdale end of Bay View.
Most but not all Category 3 properties have a dwelling.
A huge number of properties and homes remain in Category 2A - 882 - most of which are in Wairoa.
A breakdown of properties in different categories in Hawke's Bay, as at Tuesday. Photo / HBRC
That means they could in future be moved to safe Category 1, move up to unliveable Category 3, or go across to Category 2C - meaning flood protection measures could protect them.
Gisborne and Auckland councils are also working to finalise Category 3 properties and begin buyouts.
What we know about the buyouts
The voluntary buyouts for Category 3 homes will be funded 50 per cent by the Government and 50 per cent by Hastings and Napier councils.
A voluntary buyout office is being established in Hawke’s Bay and the buyout process is expected to begin by the end of this month.
Councils will contact affected homeowners and arrange a meeting, and an offer will be made according to the market value of a residential property as at February 13, 2023, less insurance payouts.
Both insured and uninsured properties with a dwelling will receive a voluntary buyout offer. Insured homeowners can also consider a relocation offer.
The region’s Voluntary Buyout Policy does not state exactly how much land around a house will be included in an offer.
