Counting the cost of extreme weather

Our district (and the whole country) has been hit hard by extreme weather over the past month. Last week, we saw more than 200mm of rain fall across large parts of the Far North in just two days. It fell on already saturated ground following a month of relentless wet weather. The result was the worst flooding many have seen in years. It didn’t take much for our waterlogged and unstable soils to start moving, resulting in dozens of slips and fallen trees that blocked roads and cut power. Council staff prepared for the worst and, for the first time in several years, stood up our Emergency Operations Centre alongside Civil Defence Emergency Management.

As it turned out, the upper South Island was hit the hardest. West Coast, Nelson-Tasman and Marlborough have been devastated by wide-spread flooding and dramatic slips, with each declaring a State of Emergency last week. This will be a hugely challenging time for those regions, especially for residents whose homes and businesses have been damaged or written off.

We were fortunate by comparison. While there were fears that rising flood waters would force some Kaitāia homes to be evacuated, those fears proved unwarranted. However, it was a close thing and some families did evacuate as a precaution.

News footage has shown us how hard South Island roads have been hit, with bridges washed away and major slips taking out key transport links. I’ve already talked in this column about the damage our own roading network has sustained this winter. The Northland Transportation Alliance estimates that road repairs caused by July’s weather event will cost Far North District Council $1.55 million. Estimates of how much it will cost to repair last week’s damage are significantly higher. For our northern road network alone, it is believed the cost will be around $4 million. It will cost another $950,000 to reinstate our southern network. While we do budget for extreme weather events, we cannot easily absorb a $6.5 million repair bill without jeopardising other important roading projects. We also cannot expect ratepayers to bear the cost alone. I assure you, we will be seeking government funding assistance to repair our roads and other infrastructure damaged by this latest extreme weather. It’s not only district roads that have been hit. This week, Waka Kotahi confirmed that State Highway 1 at Mangamuka Gorge will again be closed for weeks, and possibly months, due to five major slips that have undermined one of two state highways that link to Kaitāia. Other slips have deposited hillsides onto the road surface. Many of these slips are still moving, making it impossible for engineers to properly assess repairs. Until they do, there is no way to know how long this vital link to our second largest town will be closed. As you know, this route was closed in 2020 due to major slips and was reopened after a year of repair work. Kaitāia residents and businesses will be praying for a much quicker resolution this time.