Bay flood costs keep on rising | Rotorua News | Local News in Rotorua
Bay flood costs keep on rising
By ALAN WILLIAMS in Whakatane
Another $1 million will be spent on repairing flood damaged Eastern Bay of Plenty rivers ahead of a Government decision on its financial contribution to the repairs.
Environment Bay of Plenty has already spent $5.3m from reserve funds on response and recovery work after the devastating floods in July.
Word is expected in a month about how much the Government will contribute.
Environment Bay of Plenty chief executive Jeff Jones said a Government subsidy of 60 percent of the total repair costs of about $10m was the figure being worked on.
The $5.3m in costs so far included $600,000 spent on emergency pumping of water from farmland.
Overall, $2.8m has been spent on the Rangitaiki River catchment scheme, $1.48m on the Whakatane-Waimana River scheme, and $186,000 on the Rangitaiki drainage scheme, covering the Rangitaiki Plains area.
Major priority work still outstanding includes the Rangitaiki River stopbank at Edgecumbe and the nearby Reids Central Canal stopbank which protects an important electricity sub-station.
Environment Bay of Plenty's manager of rivers and drainage, Bruce Crabbe, has told the regional they are two of eight Rangitaiki River scheme projects which would cost a total of $500,000.
A similar sum was required for 11 projects on the Whakatane-Waimana rivers scheme while clearing silt from drains and canal in the plains drainage scheme would cost about $200,000, he said.
With a predicted $6m from the Government and a $1m contribution from river scheme reserves up to $3m of the overall cost could fall on ratepayers.
Mr Crabbe said this burden was becoming a concern, specially if further debt was needed to pay for future "extreme events" before the loans were repaid.
Mr Jones said the council could make a $1m special contribution to the repairs if the Government matched the payment, in addition to its initial subsidy.
Many people are still recovering from the effects of the floods which damaged houses and farms, caused slips across roads and forced hundreds from their homes.
Recently the New Zealand Red Cross began issuing $165,000 to nearly 100 families in the Whakatane and Opotiki districts whose houses were damaged in July.
Each of the 94 families will receive between $500 and $2000, depending on the level of impact the flood had.
Director general Flora Gilkisonc said applications describing the plight of the families had made grim reading.
"This money will not compensate them for their losses, but will provide some assistance and encouragement on their road to recovery."
The Red Cross allocation came just ahead of the Eastern Bay of Plenty mayoral disaster relief fund. All families whose houses were flooded will receive $1500 in the first of what are expected to be four rounds of funding.
The road to recovery in today's Post Weekend
Another $1 million will be spent on repairing flood damaged Eastern Bay of Plenty rivers ahead of a Government decision on its financial contribution to the repairs.
Environment Bay of Plenty has already spent $5.3m from reserve funds on response and recovery work after the devastating floods in July.
Word is expected in a month about how much the Government will contribute.
Environment Bay of Plenty chief executive Jeff Jones said a Government subsidy of 60 percent of the total repair costs of about $10m was the figure being worked on.
The $5.3m in costs so far included $600,000 spent on emergency pumping of water from farmland.
Overall, $2.8m has been spent on the Rangitaiki River catchment scheme, $1.48m on the Whakatane-Waimana River scheme, and $186,000 on the Rangitaiki drainage scheme, covering the Rangitaiki Plains area.
Major priority work still outstanding includes the Rangitaiki River stopbank at Edgecumbe and the nearby Reids Central Canal stopbank which protects an important electricity sub-station.
Environment Bay of Plenty's manager of rivers and drainage, Bruce Crabbe, has told the regional they are two of eight Rangitaiki River scheme projects which would cost a total of $500,000.
A similar sum was required for 11 projects on the Whakatane-Waimana rivers scheme while clearing silt from drains and canal in the plains drainage scheme would cost about $200,000, he said.
With a predicted $6m from the Government and a $1m contribution from river scheme reserves up to $3m of the overall cost could fall on ratepayers.
Mr Crabbe said this burden was becoming a concern, specially if further debt was needed to pay for future "extreme events" before the loans were repaid.
Mr Jones said the council could make a $1m special contribution to the repairs if the Government matched the payment, in addition to its initial subsidy.
Many people are still recovering from the effects of the floods which damaged houses and farms, caused slips across roads and forced hundreds from their homes.
Recently the New Zealand Red Cross began issuing $165,000 to nearly 100 families in the Whakatane and Opotiki districts whose houses were damaged in July.
Each of the 94 families will receive between $500 and $2000, depending on the level of impact the flood had.
Director general Flora Gilkisonc said applications describing the plight of the families had made grim reading.
"This money will not compensate them for their losses, but will provide some assistance and encouragement on their road to recovery."
The Red Cross allocation came just ahead of the Eastern Bay of Plenty mayoral disaster relief fund. All families whose houses were flooded will receive $1500 in the first of what are expected to be four rounds of funding.
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