The Coalition Government is contributing $2 million to support community-driven flood resilience projects in Auckland, says Mark Mitchell, Emergency Management and Recovery Minister.

“Last year’s flooding was some of the worst New Zealand has ever seen, and carried all manner of materials in its path, including household contents, building materials, machinery and plastics.

“It also severely damaged the region’s waste infrastructure, and that’s made the job of cleaning up after the cyclone even harder.

“Earlier this year I met with communities in Auckland as part of the Government’s 100-day plan, and I heard first-hand the concern about their waterways.

“This money will help speed up small-scale projects to make communities safer as we head into winter,” says Mr Mitchell.

More than 50,000 Auckland properties sit in flood plains and around 20,000 buildings are at risk of above-floor flooding.

Communities are seeking opportunities to actively contribute to neighbourhood and stream cleanups.

“In the event of flooding, many Aucklanders don’t know how best to prepare their homes and businesses to minimise impacts.

“This funding is for a ‘Storm-Ready Fund’, led by Auckland Council, spanning community clean-up events to remove debris from streams, maintenance crews to unblock drains, and provide advice to residents on actions to reduce flood risks.

“Support for this initiative is in addition to the $85.6 million that has been allocated from the Flood Resilience Fund to manage flood risk. These projects are great examples of making changes that build future resilience,” says Mr Mitchell.

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