Council urges government investment in flood protection infrastructure

In the Waikato, it is expected that ratepayers will spend about $2.8 billion over the next 50 years on the regular maintenance and renewal of flood protection infrastructure.

Waikato Regional Council, as part of a collaboration of regional and unitary councils responsible for flood protection across New Zealand, has called for the Government to step up and help pay for the burden of such costs.

A report by collaboration Te Uru Kahika, which highlights the importance of national co-investment from central government into flood protection, was presented at yesterday’s Integrated Catchment Management Committee meeting.

Integrated Catchment Management Chair (North) Stu Husband said the councils had been asking the Government for financial assistance for years.

“The cost to the community to maintain our flood protection infrastructure is a significant issue,” said Cr Husband.

“We’ve already seen those costs increase over the past few years, and we expect this will continue if this critical infrastructure is to remain resilient to the changing climate.”

The Waikato has flood protection schemes in the Waihou-Piako catchment, the Lower Waikato, in the Coromandel Peninsula, Ōtorohanga and Taupō.

These schemes help safeguard lives and property, enable productive use of land, and protect services such as water supply, power, telecommunications and roading networks. 

The schemes have performance levels or design levels which have been agreed with the communities in need, for example, protection from one in 100-year events (ARI – annual recurrence interval) down to one in 10-year events.

However, the cost to maintain this infrastructure is increasing, and this is expected to be further exacerbated by the impacts of climate change, with rainfall events are becoming more frequent and sea levels being projected to rise.

“Our ratepayers shouldn’t have to shoulder the full costs for flood protection infrastructure that continues to provide significant national benefits, such as protecting the North Island Main Trunk, our highways and roads, schools, and telco and electricity services,” said Cr. Husband.

“We know flood protection is expensive, but it’s also very expensive to pay for damage caused by extreme flooding.

“We feel it is time for the Government to stop being the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff. It needs to invest in the protection our people, our land, our properties and our services.

“The need to sustain flood protection infrastructure spans the country and requires an ongoing commitment from central government, commitment that will support the ongoing resilience of our communities.”

A copy of the report can be found here on Local Government New Zealand’s website.