Cyclone Gabrielle: Government gives $4.55m boost for recovery in Hawke’s Bay

Hawke’s Bay councils are getting a further $4.55 million from the Government to help speed up flood protection and transport recovery projects.

The funding comes from the Cyclone Recovery Capability Fund established through the Government Budget 2024 for areas impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle and other North Island weather calamities last year, and is part of $18.6m allocated across 12 councils.

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council receives $2.18m for additional expertise to speed up Wairoa, Pakowhai and Pōrangahau flood protection, and additional expertise for community engagement and flood modelling for a range of projects.

The Puketapu Bridge, pictured four months after Cyclone Gabrielle, was one of those destroyed in the Hastings District. Photo / NZME

Of the territorial local authorities, Hastings District Council is allocated $1.47m to speed up its roading delivery programme, Central Hawke’s Bay District Council is granted $700,000 for roading recovery and flood modelling, Wairoa District Council $200,000 to advance the Te Reinga bridge replacement and Tararua District Council $220,000 Geographical Information Systems expertise and project management support for local roading.

But mayors say much more funding is required – in the hundreds of millions of dollars - with several years’ work ahead before the recovery is complete.

CHB’s Alex Walker said: “We have $129m of our roading recovery that’s currently unfunded - so this isn’t going to be the answer to our prayers, but every bit of support helps.”

But she said the latest announcement signals the Government is aware the needs in Hawke’s Bay are ongoing.

“We’re aligned with Government,” she said. “We need to go faster and get these projects done. This extra bit of funding means we can put practical support in place for our key recovery priorities - including roads and stormwater modelling in Pōrangahau.”

Wairoa Mayor Craig Little, whose community awaits news on long-awaited non-recovery project the State Highway 2 Waikare Gorge realignment, with an estimated price-tag over $200m being considered by the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi board this week, is pleased his council’s application for funding to fast-track its local-roads Te Reinga bridge replacement project was approved.

“Our local community is doing it tough,” he said. “We still have a long road ahead of us and will require a lot more funding support over the next few years.”

“Flood protection is obviously a key focus for Wairoa as well as the wider region so it’s positive to see that as part of this announcement funding has also been allocated to speed up regional council’s delivery of these important projects,” he said.

Mayor of Hastings, Sandra Hazlehurst, said her council expects the funding to “add further resources to deliver on our roading recovery programme, which ultimately will help us get our primary sector and overall economy back on its feet sooner”.

The independent chair of the recovery agency, Blair O’Keeffe, said the “key to our success” would be maintaining a credible partnership with the Government by recognising that it also has “fiscal constraints”, and ensuring the region continues to match recovery priorities with Government programmes and funding pathways.