Prime Minister Jacinda Arden visited Marlborough on Thursday 1 September to see first-hand the damage to our region following the recent weather event.

Joining her on her visit was Emergency Management Minister, Hon Kieran McAnulty, and Transport Minister, Hon Michael Wood.

Marlborough Mayor John Leggett and Marlborough District Council Chief Executive, Mark Wheeler, met Prime Minister Ardern, Minister McAnulty and Minister Wood on their arrival in Blenheim before accompanying them on a visit to Rai Valley.

Local iwi welcomed the visitors to Rai Valley Area School before the Prime Minister and Ministers met with locals, volunteers, community representatives and first responders, all of whom played an important part in the immediate response to the flooding in the area.

The group then hopped in the helicopter and the Prime Minister was flown over areas of the Marlborough Sounds that were impacted by last month’s severe weather event.

Marlborough Mayor, John Leggett, thanked the Prime Minister and Ministers for taking the time to visit Marlborough to see first-hand the damage our region has sustained.

“For us, it was important the Prime Minister and other key Ministers were able to see for themselves the devastation the weather event caused,” Mayor Leggett said.

“While there are other areas of Marlborough that have been affected by the flooding, we were able to provide the Prime Minister with a birds-eye-view of the Marlborough Sounds including the damage to the roading network.

“During her visit the Prime Minister was able to get a true sense of the long and complex road to recovery for our region, and that is extremely important,” Mayor Leggett said.

Mayor Leggett also thanked the government for the additional $100,000 contribution to the Mayoral Relief Fund which now brings the total to $266,270.

© Scoop Media