A message from the Mayor: Cyclone Gabrielle recovery cost-sharing agreement with the Government

Published: 4 August 2023

In February, Cyclone Gabrielle inflicted significant damage across Hawke’s Bay – destroying many bridges, damaging significant portions of roading network, damaging and exceeding design standards for flood protection assets, flooding or destroying over 1000 homes across the region, and exposing major vulnerabilities in lifeline utilities.

Yesterday (3 August 2023), Hawke’s Bay’s councils reached a significant milestone in our region’s recovery journey.

All five Hawke’s Bay councils agreed to an offer from the Government to share the most urgent cyclone recovery costs between central and local government. This includes the buyout of category three properties, flood protection and infrastructure repair.

The Government’s agreement is worth up to $556 million and we’ll soon consult with our communities on the offer.

Councils and Government will adopt a 50/50 cost-sharing approach to the voluntary buyout of category 3 properties across Hawke’s Bay. The Government will contribute up to $92.5 million to the buy-outs.

The Government is also committing $203.5 million to flood protection and $260 million for transport infrastructure projects. For Napier, this means the replacement of the Redclyffe Bridge – a vital piece of infrastructure for our City.

Although the negotiations took longer than expected, it resulted in an improved outcome for the region as a whole.

Right from the start, we’ve made it clear that building back safer, stronger, and smarter will need investment far greater than anything we’ve seen before. Crown funding and ongoing Government support is vital to ensure the people of Hawke’s Bay aren’t left shouldering an impossibly heavy financial burden. We’re pleased to see this Government support our region through the agreement reached with Councils this week.

Napier City Council will soon start consulting with ratepayers and residents on the voluntary property buy outs. The details are still being developed, and we’ll share them with you later this month.

For those displaced from their homes and communities, we remain acutely aware of the time it has taken to get to this point.

We will continue to progress this important work with urgency, and let you know as we have further information to share.

To view Kirsten's video click the button below.

Video message from Kirsten Wise

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