The Otago Regional Council has welcomed $5.4 million in government funding to assist with further works on the Taieri Contour Channel floodbank project, south of Dunedin, near Mosgiel.
The funds are from a $101m package announced by Minister for Regional Development Shane Jones this week.
ORC’s chief executive Richard Saunders said this was good news for Otago and for the wider sector as the government contribution would be in the form of grant funding — 60% would be Crown grant funding and the 40% balance of the cost would be the regional share.
Mr Saunders said the Contour Channel (West Taieri) resilience upgrade was one of several key projects within the ORC’s wider flood protection schemes, which overall covered more than 200km across parts of Otago.
Mr Jones said the Regional Development Ministerial Group had approved $101,094,000 of funding from the Regional Infrastructure Fund towards 42 flood resilience "Before the Deluge" projects across the country.
ORC’s Safety and Resilience committee co-chairman Cr Gary Kelliher said this was positive news for the Taieri Contour Chanel project and would support acceleration of the works involved.
