The Nelson City Council is calling on the Government for financial support as the city faces a looming repair bill of up to $60 million following the August floods.
The council's incoming elected members received a briefing and bus tour today of some of the worst-affected areas in the city, as new Nelson Mayor Nick Smith reiterated his promise to helm the recovery effort.
"We have a massive engineering, financial and people challenge ahead in fixing the extensive damage that our new Council saw firsthand today," Smith said in a media release.
The main highway between the cities will fully close for seven weeks after being damaged in the August storm. (Source: 1News)
“I commend former Mayor Rachel Reese and the Nelson City Council team on the emergency response, but we need to be realistic that it is going to take years to repair the damage from this weather event."
The former National Party MP said his priorities lie in "ensuring we build back more resiliently so that we are better able to withstand the next event, we get the work done as quickly as possible and we get good value for money for the ratepayer and taxpayer".
Fire and Emergency are continuing their assessments of flood-hit homes. (Source: 1News)
Smith estimates the cost to repair the damaged council infrastructure is between $40m and $60m - the largest repair bill for a natural disaster in the city since the last major event in 2011, which cost an estimated $15m.
The bill will cover the cost of repairing the council's roads and infrastructure, as well as restoring the city's parks.
It comes in addition to the $6m already spent by the council on the recovery.
Smith is now calling on the Government to provide a funding boost, noting that the "scale of these costs is beyond what Nelson ratepayers can afford".
"Nelson taxpayers have contributed generously in the past to significant natural disasters such as the Christchurch Earthquake. This is our rainy day and we will need Government support," he said.
“Nelson is grateful for the support shown during the emergency with visits from both Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, the Minister for Emergency Management Kieran McAnulty and support from our local MP Rachel Boyack.
“We have appreciated the financial support for the emergency response and Mayoral Relief Fund but will be looking for further assistance for this massive recovery bill."
Smith is due to meet with McAnulty when he visits Nelson next Thursday.
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