Source: New Zealand Government
The Government is investing close to $97 million into 32 flood resilience projects across New Zealand, helping to protect more than 30,000 homes and around 350,000 hectares of land, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones announced today.
“Flooding doesn’t just damage roads, pipes and power poles – it disrupts communities, livelihoods and local economies. This second tranche of flood resilience funding from the Regional Infrastructure Fund is the Government’s commitment to equipping our regions with the protections needed to weather storms and bounce back quicker,” Mr Jones says.
Of the 32 new projects, 22 are based in the South Island, reflecting the critical need for infrastructure that can withstand increasingly severe and frequent weather events.
“We’ve recognised the urgency of these investments, which is why we’ve doubled down on regions like Tasman, where recent flooding has demonstrated both our vulnerability and the extensive cost of recovery,” Mr Jones says.
The projects announced today will help protect around 100,000 New Zealanders who live in these areas and brings the total number of flood resilience projects supported by the Regional Infrastructure Fund (RIF) to 74, with nearly $200m committed since August 2024 to protecting regional communities from the impacts of flooding.
“The value of these investments is clear. During the recent South Island floods, early works at Spring Creek funded through the first tranche of flood resilience RIF funding prevented what could have been significant damage to properties and infrastructure.
“In Motueka, local authorities indicated that without its government-funded flood resilience infrastructure, the township would’ve been inundated. And let’s not forget Taradale where a $4m investment in flood protection saved over $7 billion in damages during Cyclone Gabrielle. That’s not just smart economics, it’s common sense,” Mr Jones says.
Sixty per cent of the cost of the 32 projects will be funded by government, with the relevant local authority co-funding the balance. Also included in the tranche two flood resilience projects is $7.46m in RIF funding to support the installation of early warning flood systems across ten councils nationwide
“These are pragmatic and high-impact investments that will make a real difference in these communities. I look forward to seeing progress as work gets underway in the months ahead, and communities start to see the benefits of this investment in their future,” Mr Jones says.
Further information about the second tranche of flood resilience RIF projects can be found at www.growregions.govt.nz.
