Evacuations were part of Auckland-wide Anniversary Weekend flood response action amidst record rainfall. Photo / Hayden Woodward
Evacuations were part of Auckland-wide Anniversary Weekend flood response action amidst record rainfall. Photo / Hayden Woodward
Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown is proposing a $1 billion-plus flood recovery programme that includes daylighting streams in flood-risk areas and managed retreat.
The “Making Space for Water” programme is being developed by the council’s Healthy Waters stormwater division and is planned to be rolled out over six years, not the 30 years it would normally take.
It is a response to the summer’s catastrophic storm that led to about 1700 properties being red or yellow-stickered, landslides and severe damage to roads across the region.
Today, Brown said with thousands of properties directly affected by recent floods, Aucklanders want clear communication, direction and leadership from central and local government to help them make decisions.
He said the council needs to make space for water to move safely through the region without causing unacceptable risks to people, property, infrastructure and the environment.
“Preparing for floods is an important part of climate change adaptation. We are taking action to drive significant progress and deliver on our commitment to giving communities the tools they need to be resilient,” he said.
The programme will go to the council’s governing body for approval for public consultation.
Lyall Carter, who chairs West Auckland is Flooding(WAIF), said the group was “absolutely stoked” at the mayor’s “fair and decisive” proposal, saying it was everything residents of about 200 flooded properties and others impacted to a lesser degree have been advocating for.
He said WAIF still has questions like how it is going to be funded and will continue to ask the Government to have talks with the council, banks and insurance companies on the funding question; how the programme will be applied and whether it aligns with the Government’s own plans .
“And also what happens in the interim for those people who are out of their homes and have been flood-affected and whose insurance is running out, and for those people who will also be returning to their homes,” Carter said.
He said the community has had a very strained relationship with the council and, at times felt forgotten, but today was a great step forward.
“This is transformational and a legacy issue and shows a blueprint of how we are going to have to adapt to ever-increasing weather events in severity and frequency - an in-the-moment picture of how we need to adapt to nature,” he said.
The $1b-plus cost is a high-level estimate by Healthy Waters and could feed into Brown’s final mayoral proposal for this year’s budget.
Other possible funding sources include central government, the private sector and a targeted rate.
Brown said the cost of addressing flood risk in an acceptable timeframe is beyond the capacity of the council alone. Earlier this month, he said the current position is that the council is not a guarantor of private property interests and is generally not responsible for compensating property owners for losses from severe weather or a natural disaster.
About 1700 homes have been red and yellow-stickered across Auckland. Photo / File
The programme proposes nine initiatives, ranging from increased stormwater maintenance and stream rehabilitation to blue-green projects and site-specific solutions for high-risk properties.
“Making Space for Water” would prioritise known areas of critical flood risk, but further investigative work is needed before these locations can be confirmed.
Last week, Brown met Finance Minister Grant Robertson and Auckland Minister Michael Wood, who all agreed that central and local government’s approach to flood and cyclone recovery needs to be aligned.
The Government’s Cyclone Gabrielle Recovery Taskforce is leading a process – with involvement from insurance companies, banks, and Auckland Council – to engage with affected communities and individuals.
The initiatives are:
Blue-green networks in critical flood-risk areas: Stormwater solutions (stream widening and realignment), enhancing parkland or open space, and property acquisition and removal.
High-risk properties: Working with property owners on engineering solutions, managed retreat and property acquisition.
Culvert and bridge upgrades: The assessment, replacement and upgrade of vulnerable assets.
Overland flow path management: Work to repair, maintain and monitor overland flow paths, and educate property owners.
Rural settlements: Responding to three waters needs in storm-affected communities including marae and papakāinga, and supporting community resilience planning.
Flood intelligence: Investment in planning and modelling tools to enhance council decision-making.
Stream rehabilitation: Vegetation management, slope stabilisation, bank battering, stream channel modification and advice for property owners.
Community-led flood resilience: Advice for property owners in high-risk areas, industry-specific advice, public events, and awareness campaigns
Increased maintenance: Maximising stormwater networks’ efficiency, including street sweeping, catch pit cleaning, and weed clearance from streams.
