Efforts to get Kaikoura back in business on track, says new Civil Defence Minister Nathan Guy

New Civil Defense Minister Nathan Guy today visited the three main slip sites north of Kaikoura, meeting with contractors and offering thanks to their crews. Photo / John Borren

Six months after Kaikoura found itself near the epicentre of November's 7.8 magnitude earthquake the effort to get the tourist town back in business are on track.

Civil Defence Minister Nathan Guy made his first visit to the quake-affected region today, just a week after being sworn into the portfolio, replacing new Foreign Minister Gerry Brownlee.

Sunday marks the six month anniversary of the complex series of quakes that ruptured 21 fault lines.

It was felt extensively across the South Island and lower North Island, causing damage to buildings, roads and land across multiple regions.

On a day trip, Guy visited three main slip sights on State Highway 1, north of Kaikoura, where he met with contractors to offer thanks to 400 staff on the ground.

Guy said the aftermath of cyclones Debbie and Cook was still evident in the region, with several slips having worsened due to the deluge.

Works, costing up to $1.33 billion, are on track to have the road open by the end of the year.

"The earthquake hit Kaikoura's tourism business hard - half of its hotels, motels, backpackers and holiday parks were closed in December 2016," he said.

He expects reopening the road to tourists will be "incredibly exciting" for the town.

New $5m support package

The Government today also pledged $5 million to support the primary sector's recovery.

The announcement of the fund, which will be distributed over the next three years, was timed to coincide with the sixth-month anniversary of the 7.8 magnitude quake which shook the country awake on November 14.

Guy launched the new Earthquake Recovery Fund in front of a receptive 50-strong audience made up of those from the local farming community who gathered in a north Canterbury woodshed to hear the new Minister out.

Guy anticipated the fund would be used to support projects investigating long-term land use and restoration.

In addition Science and Innovation Minister Paul Goldsmith committed $1.2 million toward research and earthquake recovery.

"Science helps us to understand what happened during this earthquake, how we rebuild and how re respond to future events," he said.

It will fund continued landslide assessments, new hazard models incorporating slow slip earthquake sand land deformation, and subsoil assessments in Wellington.

Guy was expected to make a number of other stops on his one-day trip, as well as meeting with Kaikoura Mayor Winston Grey.