$500k to clear trees felled by cyclone before winter hits
The Northland Regional Council will fund $500,000 for forestry gear and crews to clear trees from flood-prone rivers around the region.
The project is one of several one-off items funded by the council to help Te Tai Tokerau recover from the devastation of Cyclone Gabrielle.
The aim is to get the work done as soon as possible – before winter wet weather and the possibility of more flooding hits, said council chairperson Tui Shortland.
Big forestry gear and experienced crews will be required to do the heavy lifting, removing the trees and stacking them out of flood reach.
Shortland said the scale of the problem become apparent during a recent site visit to river catchments at Kaihū , Awakino and Paparoa – which were all badly hit by the cyclone.
It is the landowner’s responsibility to remove trees from rivers, said council rivers and natural hazards manager Joseph Camuso.
However, the unprecedented number of downed trees after the cyclone was beyond landowners’ ability to remove them, he said.
‘‘In some instances, these trees pose a risk to public infrastructure by blocking or damming of rivers and damaging infrastructure.
‘‘This is a proactive measure to identify the highest risk areas and reduce the flood risk.’’
Shortland said the council was also talking with central government agencies about further funding, as the $500,000 was unlikely to cover all of Northland.
The total cost was unknown but the council will prioritise areas where there is the highest risk of river blockage and subsequent flooding.
Northland Regional Council will also fund up to $300,000 to support landowners, marae and hapū rebuild riparian fencing damaged by the cyclone.
The funding is specifically for areas outside the Kaipara Moana Remediation, which already has funding for riparian fencing.
The council is also planning to contribute $5000 to the Te Araroa Trail trust to help with the cleanup of tree fall and track damage.
Councillors also backed a ‘‘pragmatic’’ approach by staff to any non-compliance caused or contributed to by the cyclone.