The Government has pledged close to $97 million for 32 flood resilience projects across New Zealand, in a bid to protect more than 30,000 homes and around 350,000 hectares of land.
Regional Development Minister, Shane Jones said the second tranche of flood resilience funding from the Regional Infrastructure Fund was the Government’s commitment to equipping regions with the protections needed to weather storms and bounce back quicker.
“Flooding doesn’t just damage roads, pipes and power poles – it disrupts communities, livelihoods and local economies,” the Minister said.
Of the 32 new projects earmarked for funding, 22 are based in the South Island.
“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.
He said 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 $200 million 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 $7.46 million 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.
