Govt promises support for Buller schools as series of flood events leave children fearful every time it rains
Wednesday, 23 February 2022
The Government has promised support for schools as a succession of flooding events in the Buller district has left some children fearful every time it rains.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern visited Westport on Wednesday after “unprecedented” damage to infrastructure caused by widespread flooding and slips.
The heavy rain event on February 10 caused mandatory evacuations on the West Coast, damaged 70 farms, flooded 22 homes and closed many roads in the region.
Was your farm affected by the flooding? Email reporters@press.co.nz
Ardern had a briefing about the recent flood events from Buller mayor Jamie Cleine, councillors and the local flood response team, and travelled north of Westport where there is damage to farms, roads and water supply.
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Powerhouse Rd farmer Allan Sara challenged her to provide funding to support Westport – particularly with flood protection, which was paramount.
“We need some action. We are seven months since the July flood, and we have seen nothing. Absolutely nothing. Westport people are scared s…less basically every time it rains. Everyone is on high alert,” he said
“We just can't afford to get flooded again. Insurance companies are running scared of us. People are worried. It is their life savings, their homes, their vehicles, their properties.”
Ardern said the Government would provide $500,000 so local councils or other authorised agencies could hire jobseekers to help with flood cleanup in the Buller and southern Tasman districts.
She also acknowledged the community's stress and anxiety after going through three flood events in such quick succession.
“I want to acknowledge … the impact on kids – we saw it in Christchurch and Kaikōura in the aftermath of the earthquakes. We saw kids in schools getting really anxious.”
The Government's Mana Ake programme, which involved teams of specialists working with schools affected by the earthquakes, would be extended to the West Coast, she said.
Buller District Council deputy chief executive Rachel Townrow said adults and children had reported feeling fearful when it rained.
Ardern said Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta recently wrote to the West Coast Regional and Buller District councils to say “let's work together on a co-investment plan for flood protection” by June.
“For me that is about addressing the deeper psychological effects these events are having and thinking about how we build that greater resiliency for our communities.
“Please know that you have a willing partner in us, that even when we are not here we are here with you in many other ways. Just tell us if there are extra things that we could or should be doing,” she said.
She said building resilience for the community was not going to be easy.
Minister Kiri Allen was bringing a paper to Cabinet soon with a call for funding for immediate work that needed to be done such as repairs to water infrastructure. The council estimated it needed about $10 million to repair damage to water systems.
She said the idea of moving the town of Westport away from the Buller River was for the community to discuss.
“There is a range of options we need to talk about. The council is talking about what can be done to ensure that where homes already are, if they are being rebuilt, how can we do that in a way that ensures they don’t get hit time and time again.
“So making sure planning regulations are consistent with that.”
Flood protection walls were being considered, but they were not foolproof and more would be required, she said.
The issue was not unique to Westport, she said.
The Buller District Council estimated the two back-to-back flooding events this month had caused between $21.5 million and $43m worth of damage.
“The cost of repairs will be a significant challenge for our district with a small ratepayer base, which is spread thinly over a relatively large rural area,” Cleine said in a statement, adding the community had already been trying to recover from last July’s flood.
“We have a number of significant issues that require immediate attention, these include ongoing infrastructure assessments and removal of flood affected domestic waste, which is a problem throughout the district.
“These events were unprecedented, and repairing the damage is going to take time and it will be costly.”
Flood recovery manager Bob Dickson said the effect on the rural sector was “unprecedented”.
Some 140 farms had to be assessed and 77 had been so far. “There has been a loss of production, fences destroyed, feed destroyed, paddocks silted and flow and depth of water went over deer fences. These folk have quite challenging times ahead,” he said.
A state of emergency was lifted on Monday but Westport and Carters Beach are still on boil water notices, roads are still being repaired, and farmers face dealing with millions of dollars worth of damage to farms.
Four of the flooded homes had been red-stickered as they were uninhabitable and 18 had received yellow stickers, meaning people could move back in if it was safe to do so.
In Reefton, “emergency work” was taking place to mitigate any ongoing negative environmental impacts on the Inangahua River from a historic landfill site that had been undermined in the flooding.
On February 13, the Government contributed $300,000 to support the region to recover from recent weather events.
Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor classified the severe weather as a medium-scale adverse event for the West Coast and the top of the South Island, unlocking $200,000 of government support for farmers and growers.
Emergency Management Minister Kiritapu Allan announced $100,000 for the Mayoral Relief Fund to support Buller residents, noting the Government was on standby to provide further relief as needed.
After more than 500 homes in Westport flooded in July, residents overwhelmingly supported the West Coast Regional Council’s plan to build a $10.2 million flood wall around the town.
However, six months on, no physical work has begun on the wall and with an ageing stormwater system exacerbating flooding, residents are growing frustrated.
A Westport joint committee set up to review the plan has not had a single meeting.