The Government has announced funding for businesses and councils to cover the cost of silt removal after Cyclone Gabrielle.
On Wednesday Associate Minister for Cyclone Recovery Barbara Edmonds and Minister of Local Government Keiran McAnulty announced $172 million in funding for councils and commercial properties in Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti.
Hawke’s Bay has been allocated $133.2 million and Tairāwhiti $38.8 million.
Of the total funding, $102m will go towards helping councils process and dispose of all the debris coming from residential properties, and to deal with sediment on council-land to make it available to the public again, and $70m will go towards commercial properties (including farmers and growers) to help clean up their land and return to profit
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The funding for local authorities will be administered directly by the Department of Internal Affairs, and the commercial funding by local authorities through funding agreements.
For commercial properties, funding will be provided through local councils in the form of grants. The first $40,000 will be fully funded by the Crown, including any funding already provided through earlier support programmes.
DAVID UNWIN
There is an estimated 4million cubic metres of silt across Hawke’s Bay following Cyclone Gabrielle. (File photo)
Funding above that will be cost-shared on a 50:50 basis and capped at $210,000. Work that businesses have already undertaken through their own funding will be able to be counted as part of their 50 per cent contribution.
“This latest funding will help councils manage the cost of the post cyclone clean-up. This includes collection, processing, removal, and disposal of sediment and debris,” Edmonds said.
McAnulty said silt and debris removal was “a complex and time-consuming task”.
MONIQUE FORD/Stuff
Associate Minister for Cyclone Recovery Barbara Edmonds made the announcement with Minister of Local Government Keiran McAnulty on Wednesday. (File photo)
“Once it’s been removed from properties, it needs to be processed and disposed of safely at council facilities. This funding ensures there is somewhere for material to go. It will cover eligible related clean-up costs councils have already incurred,” he said.
Councils could choose to use the funding to remove debris from residential properties, if they wished, particularly if silt and debris is blocking access.
Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor said funding silt removal was the next step along the way to helping orchardists and farmers re-establish their livelihoods.
The announcement comes on top of government support already provided, including:
- An initial $250 million for Waka Kotahi and local councils to assess and fix roads
- $74 million for affected farmers and growers to clean up and re-establish their businesses
- $4 million to help rural communities with immediate recovery needs, such as aerial surveys, mental wellbeing, recovery advice, logistics and transport, and reimbursement of costs of urgent response activity.
- $75 million for businesses with immediate costs and clean-up – to be distributed by local delivery partners in the affected regions
- $5 million to Mayoral Relief Funds
- More than $65.8 million in Civil Defence Payments
- Inquiry announced into forestry slash and land use after Cyclone Gabrielle
- A new Recovery Visa created to help bring in additional specialist workers
- Temporary Accommodation Service activated in affected regions
- Cyclone Gabrielle Appeal Fund Launched along with a special Lotto Draw on Saturday 18 March
- $15 million short-term relief package to support Māori communities
- A further $17.5 million to support communities and community providers
- $3.25 million to support the immediate mental wellbeing needs of people impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle
- $15 million for councils to remove rubbish
