PM surveys damage in flood-ravaged region

Heavy rain has caused 2500 faults to Marlborough’s roads, 900 more than in the flooding last year, and questions are being asked about whether certain roads will be restored, the prime minister says.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern visited Base Woodbourne to discuss the flooding yesterday, before taking an NH90 Defence Force helicopter for a flight over Rai Valley to survey the damage.

The northern half of the region was battered by four days of heavy rain from August 17 that caused property damage and road closures.

State Highway 6 reopened between Nelson and Blenheim on Wednesday after 11 days of repairs, while State Highway 63 would stay closed until at least September 12.

Ardern said being in Marlborough yesterday was an opportunity for her and Minister for Emergency Management Kieran Mcanulty to get a better insight into the severe weather events that the region had experienced, particularly the impact on the roading network.

She said she understood there was 100km of roads yet to be assessed and that more than 2500 faults had already been identified. It was too early to say how long it would take to restore some of those faults, she said.

Referring to storms in July last year that cut off residents in the Marlborough Sounds and damaged 460km of the region’s roads, she said: ‘‘To give that some context, a year ago, with the severe weather event, [there was] closer to 1600 faults, so this is of a far greater magnitude.

‘‘There is still a bit of work to be done to assess reinstatement and just what will happen next for some of that roading network.’’

At Base Woodbourne yesterday afternoon, Mcanulty said Marlborough communities hit by the recent heavy rain would receive a further $100,000 contribution to their Mayoral Relief Fund as part of the wider government support for the region.

The Mayoral Relief Fund was established by Marlborough mayor John Leggett on August 22, to assist the region in its recovery effort following the recent severe weather event.

Mcanulty said that after speaking with Leggett yesterday, it was clear there was a need for additional contribution. ‘‘That’s in addition to donations from the community, and the mayor has indicated that applications are under way and that those funds are going to the communities that need it,’’ Mcanulty said.

Ardern said the Mayoral Relief Fund would not cover the full cost. She also said ‘‘decisions have not yet been made’’ about whether certain roads in the region would return to the state they were prior to being damaged by the recent severe weather.

‘‘You can hear that some are asking those questions, and I think you can understand why.

‘‘This is the second major event; it has hit the same areas and damaged the same roads that may have, in some cases, only recently been repaired.

‘‘Last time, it was over $80 million to repair those roads. We know we have far more damage this time.’’