Mayor Wayne Brown says his council shouldn't be responsible for compensating flood-hit Auckland homeowners, adding that "central government needs to provide leadership" on the issue.
It comes as flooded West Auckland property owners continue looking for compensation from the Government following the Anniversary Weekend flash flooding.
Some residents have previously shown frustration over perceived failings by the council in maintaining stormwater infrastructure before the January natural disaster.
Brown's office signalled his council's position in a media release this morning. The Government has yet to announce support for a longer-term managed retreat.
The mayor said, "central government needs to provide leadership around storm-related compensation, and any mandates must be properly funded.
"Any use of limited public funds needs to be prudent and consistent with public benefit.
"Our current position is that Auckland Council is not a guarantor of private property interests, and we are generally not responsible for compensating property owners in case of loss due to a severe weather event or natural disaster," he said.
He added that "thinking about what happens next and our respective roles and responsibilities as part of a complex national response in no way diminishes our commitment to supporting those hardest hit by the Auckland Anniversary floods and Cyclone Gabrielle".
Eight weeks on from the Auckland floods, some residents are still looking for answers. (Source: 1News)
Cyclone Recovery Minister Grant Robertson said in March that the Government would mull over whether it would help finance a managed retreat.
Previous public engagement found confusion about the roles and responsibilities of central and local government, and property owners, Brown suggested. He added that where houses were previously built, "the lessons of the past had been forgotten".
"In many cases, where houses were allowed to be built in areas with a history of flooding and land instability, the lessons of the past had been forgotten, central government mandates had changed local building and planning rules adversely, or council's position had been overruled, often in the Environment Court," the mayor's statement read.
The mayor said he would prefer the council "work with property owners, not on managed retreat but building storm resilience".
Talks are underway over how a managed retreat can happen sooner rather than later. (Source: 1News)
"In the long run, we can better serve Aucklanders by adapting to life in a changing climate. We need to work with community groups, not over the top of them," he said.
"I want to see the council join forces with local residents and mana whenua to monitor and manage flood risks in and around urban streams.
"If we rebuild, we have to build better. I think we can continue to develop some flood-prone areas of Auckland, but only if flood-resistant design and construction is utilised, and the appropriate stormwater infrastructure is in place."
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