Marlborough District Council has been successful in its bid to gain further central Government funding to help repair its storm-damaged roads. Two heavy rain events in July 2021 and August 2022 caused extensive damage across its network running into the hundreds of millions of dollars.

Last week the Waka Kotahi board agreed to fund 95 per cent of $52.39M, or $49.77M. The Council would provide the remaining five per cent, or $2.62M.

“This is fantastic news and I’d like to thank everyone who contributed to this outcome,” Mayor Nadine Taylor said.

“Thanks in particular to Waka Kotahi for agreeing to the financial assistance rate (FAR) of 95%. I understand and appreciate the Government is under significant pressure and facing funding requests from North Island regions for the Cyclone Gabrielle recovery and rebuild.”

The new funding enables Awatere Valley, Northbank and Waihopai Valley road repairs to be completed, as well as a one-year extension of barge and water taxi subsidies in the Marlborough Sounds. The new money also includes funding for design for repairing high priority sites on Queen Charlotte Drive, and costs for some repairs in the Sounds that are necessary to maintain access, prior to the outcome of the Marlborough Sounds Future Access Study.

“This is great news for our communities. There is however some way to go with the next round of public engagement Council is conducting on the Marlborough Sounds Future Access Study coming up at the end of this month, when we will be seeking public feedback on the ‘emerging preferred option’ for each of the five damaged areas in the Sounds.”

For further information on the Study and the drop-in and online meetings taking place from 20 to 28 June, go to: www.marlborough.govt.nz/services/roads-and-transport/marlborough-sounds-future-access-study/2023-public-consultation-msfas

Previous funding allocations of $85.3M and $3.45M were provided at a 95% FAR by Waka Kotahi, bringing Marlborough’s total storm recovery funding to date to $141.14M.

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