Replacing the Hikuwai No.1 bridge on SH35 between Tolaga Bay and Tokomaru Bay will cost an estimated $140m.
State highways in Tairāwhiti, Wairoa, Hawke’s Bay, Coromandel and Northland damaged in this year’s cyclones are the first to benefit from a $6 billion climate change resilience fund.
Minister for Cyclone Recovery Grant Robertson yesterday announced the first tranche of the fund — $567 million — would go towards rebuilding those roads as part of the National Resilience Plan announced in May’s Budget.
Newly announced Labour candidate for East Coast Tamati Coffey has welcomed government funding of up to $257m for Tairāwhiti and Wairoa for immediate works on state highways affected by severe weather in the regions.
“This is a welcome and much-needed boost for repairing our roading infrastructure in the regions, and will help us build back better from the severe weather events,” Mr Coffey said.
“This new $257m investment includes $140m for replacing the Hikuwai No.1 Bridge on State Highway 35, and $8m for repairs of SH38 between Wairoa and Lake Waikaremoana.”
A further $18m is earmarked for immediate works on SH35, $39m for immediate works on SH2 between Opotiki and Waikare Bridge (between Wairoa and Napier), $16m for pavement and surfacing repairs and treatments across the region, and $36m for bridge repairs, including on piers and abutments, scour protection and debris removal.
The Hawke’s Bay component of the funding announced yesterday also includes $120m for SH2 between Napier and Waikare Bridge.
The National Resilience Fund was set up to support building infrastructure such as roading and rail, as well as telecommunications and electricity transmission, to be more resilient to the impacts of climate change.
“At the time, we indicated that immediate focus would be on building back better from the North Island weather events earlier in the year,” Mr Robertson said.
“Over time, the plan will also address the severe infrastructure deficits that have held New Zealand back.
“We need to ensure that transport infrastructure is rebuilt quickly post the weather events, but also that they are built in a resilient way as increasingly severe weather events will continue to hit New Zealand.”
The Government had already committed to spending an extra $525m on critical repairs immediately following February’s devastating cyclone.
Speaking on the announcement at yesterday’s post-Cabinet press conference, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said the Government also welcomed a package from Hawke’s Bay mayors about buying out properties in their region.
Councils will need to ratify and consult with their communities. The Government had agreed to contribute to flood protection.
Leaving a home in a community was not an easy decision, Hipkins said. But starting anew without fear of floods or landslides was a good opportunity.
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They were hoping to see similar decisions reached in other affected regions shortly, he said.
Minister of Transport David Parker said that now almost all links had been restored in cyclone- and flood-affected areas, many of those roads needed to be made safer and more resilient.
“We need permanent solutions in places where Bailey bridges were put in to reopen river crossings. This extra funding will replace or strengthen and rebuild damaged bridges,” said Mr Parker.
“It will also improve the road surface on major stretches of road where potholes and cracks left after the weather events have made travel slow and frustrating for locals.”
The Government has also contributed $210m to local road repairs, which were normally the responsibility of local government.
The National Party unveiled its Transport for the Future policy yesterday, costed at $24.8 billion over 10 years.
It highlighted a focus on roads of national significance, public transport in Auckland and the lower North Island, and upgrades focused on rebuilding regions hit by Cyclone Gabrielle and resilience to future storms.
Funding for the projects would come from a mix of sources, including more than $7.4bn from the National Land Transport Fund and nearly $6.3bn from the government; reallocating more than $1.5bn from the New Zealand Upgrade programme; and more than $9.5bn from private funding.State highways in Tairāwhiti, Wairoa, Hawke’s Bay, Coromandel and Northland damaged in this year’s cyclones are the first to benefit from a
$6 billion climate change resilience fund.
Minister for Cyclone Recovery Grant Robertson yesterday announced the first tranche of the fund — $567 million — would go towards rebuilding those roads as part of the National Resilience Plan announced in May’s Budget.
Newly announced Labour candidate for East Coast Tamati Coffey has welcomed government funding of up to $257m for Tairāwhiti and Wairoa for immediate works on state highways affected by severe weather in the regions.
“This is a welcome and much-needed boost for repairing our roading infrastructure in the regions, and will help us build back better from the severe weather events,” Mr Coffey said.
“This new $257m investment includes $140m for replacing the Hikuwai No.1 Bridge on State Highway 35, and $8m for repairs of SH38 between Wairoa and Lake Waikaremoana.”
A further $18m is earmarked for immediate works on SH35, $39m for the Waikare Bridge between Wairoa and Napier (if the bridge remains on the same alignment), $16m for pavement and surfacing repairs and treatments across the region, and $36m for bridge repairs, including on piers and abutments, scour protection and debris removal.
The Hawke’s Bay component of the funding announced yesterday also includes $120m for SH2 between Napier and Waikare Bridge.
The National Resilience Fund was set up to support building infrastructure such as roading and rail, as well as telecommunications and electricity transmission, to be more resilient to the impacts of climate change.
“At the time, we indicated that immediate focus would be on building back better from the North Island weather events earlier in the year,” Mr Robertson said.
“Over time, the plan will also address the severe infrastructure deficits that have held New Zealand back.
“We need to ensure that transport infrastructure is rebuilt quickly post the weather events, but also that they are built in a resilient way as increasingly severe weather events will continue to hit New Zealand.”
The Government had already committed to spending an extra $525m on critical repairs immediately following February’s devastating cyclone.
Speaking on the announcement at yesterday’s post-Cabinet press conference, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said the Government also welcomed a package from Hawke’s Bay mayors about buying out properties in their region.
Councils will need to ratify and consult with their communities. The Government had agreed to contribute to flood protection.
Leaving a home in a community was not an easy decision, Hipkins said. But starting anew without fear of floods or landslides was a good opportunity.
They were hoping to see similar decisions reached in other affected regions shortly, he said.
Minister of Transport David Parker said that now almost all links had been restored in cyclone- and flood-affected areas, many of those roads needed to be made safer and more resilient.
“We need permanent solutions in places where Bailey bridges were put in to reopen river crossings. This extra funding will replace or strengthen and rebuild damaged bridges,” said Mr Parker.
“It will also improve the road surface on major stretches of road where potholes and cracks left after the weather events have made travel slow and frustrating for locals.”
The Government has also contributed $210m to local road repairs, which were normally the responsibility of local government.
The National Party unveiled its Transport for the Future policy yesterday, costed at $24.8 billion over 10 years.
It highlighted a focus on roads of national significance, public transport in Auckland and the lower North Island, and upgrades focused on rebuilding regions hit by Cyclone Gabrielle and resilience to future storms.
Funding for the projects would come from a mix of sources, including more than $7.4bn from the National Land Transport Fund and nearly $6.3bn from the government; reallocating more than $1.5bn from the New Zealand Upgrade programme; and more than $9.5bn from private funding.
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