Hawke’s Bay leaders welcomed the commitment for additional to help with silt and debris removal made today by the government.

Minister for Local Government, Kieran McAnulty Associate Minister for Cyclone Recovery Barbara Edmonds announced the Government is providing:

• $102 million to help councils process and dispose of all the debris coming from residential properties, and to deal with sediment on council-land to make it available to the public again
• $70 million for commercial properties (including farmers and growers) to help clean up their land and return to profit
• Funding for debris and sediment removal from whenua Māori

Based on official advice, within the funding for councils and commercial properties, $133.2 million has been allocated for Hawke’s Bay. The remaining $38.8 million has been allocated to Tairāwhiti.

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council Chair Hinewai Ormsby says “This is a good start and has been a long time coming for our people and communities most impacted by this disaster. Further details, however, are needed to understand the government’s support. Our region is facing its largest waste management clean-up ever and our committed funding is already stretched to the limit.”

Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst says “This commitment from Government to assist us with what is an enormous task is very welcome. The Silt Recovery Taskforce, a partnership between Hastings District Council and Hawke’s Bay Regional Council, is spending $1.2 million a week on silt collection. We must continue to support our residents and primary industry to be able to clear their land, dry out their homes, and resume planning for their future.”

Silt Recovery Taskforce Lead Darren de Klerk also welcomes the Government’s funding announcement which he says gives certainty to the Taskforce’s work.

“It’s a relief to get this funding from the Government and know that we can confidently plan the work of the Taskforce in the months to come,” says Mr de Klerk.

“The Taskforce has collected approximately 185,000m3 of silt with 26 crews on the ground and 900 truck movements per day, but we have a long way to go,” says Mr de Klerk.

“This funding goes a long way and will make a huge difference to our community, though it won’t cover the cost of removing all of the estimated silt deposited across the whenua. This funding allows us to continue moving thousands of cubic metres of silt each week, and support the region as it recovers.”

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