Regional Development Minister Shane Jones announced the funding yesterday, which would grant more than $90 million for 32 flood resilience projects across New Zealand, helping to protect more than 30,000 homes and around 350,000ha of land.
"Flooding doesn’t just damage roads, pipes and power poles — it disrupts communities, livelihoods and local economies. This second tranche of flood resilience funding from the Regional Infrastructure Fund is the government’s commitment to equipping our regions with the protections needed to weather storms and bounce back quicker," Mr Jones said.
Of the 32 new projects, 22 are based in the South Island, reflecting the critical need for infrastructure that can withstand increasingly severe and frequent weather events.
In the Otago region, funding went towards the Puerua River outfall structure upgrades, Riverbank Rd flood risk mitigation, Puerua flood protection strengthening and the Kaitangata floodbank reconstruction, East Taieri Lower Pond structure upgrades and Silver Stream Capacity Improvements.
The East Taieri and Silver Stream projects alone protect Dunedin Airport and about 5000 dwellings.
Otago Regional Council (ORC) chief executive Richard Saunders said the investment would enable it to accelerate its flood and drainage work programme.
"Numerous flood and high river events spanning from 2017 through October 2024 have taken their toll on ORC’s flood infrastructure assets, which could otherwise threaten hundreds of properties, businesses, stock, roads, Dunedin’s airport and thousands of hectares of productive land."
About $7.8m would be spent on the six Otago projects, the government providing a share of $4.7m and the $3.1m balance funded by ORC.
The $4.7m is the second tranche of government funding confirmed for Otago, the first tranche being $5.4m in government funding announced in August last year, for further works on the Taieri Contour Channel floodbank project.
Mr Saunders said the wide-ranging work in tranche two funding ran from geotechnical investigations through to repair and maintenance of coastal and inland flood banks, channels, culverts and streams.
"People are experiencing firsthand the effects of increasing climatic events, so it’s more important than ever to maintain ORC’s flood protection assets across Otago."
Minister for the South Island James Meager welcomed the announcement.
"I’m incredibly pleased with the near $97m investment into 32 flood resilience projects, 22 of which are in the South Island. It’s an acknowledgement of the South’s need for strong and resilient infrastructure which protects our people and property from increasingly frequent severe weather.
"We know parts of the South Island, like the West Coast, [have] some of the most difficult and treacherous terrain in the world, and this investment is an acknowledgement of the critical need to safeguard our communities."
