Council welcomes climate resilience and flood protection funding

The funding announced by Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters and Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau comes from the $210 million for shovel-ready climate resilience and flood protection projects being delivered through a $3 billion tagged contingency in Budget 2020.

Regional Council chair Doug Leeder says the announcement is great news for the Bay of Plenty, accelerating six major projects that will secure over 130 full-time equivalent positions with local contractors engaged mostly with earthworks and associated culvert, piping, construction, and site and pasture restoration. In addition this stimulus will provide downstream economic and social benefits.

“The projects are located across the rohe and will complete or upgrade infrastructure that addresses specific flood risks in the Western Bay, Rotorua, Whakatāne and Ōpōtiki districts.

COVID-19 Recovery has provided an unprecedented opportunity to work in partnership with central government to accelerate projects that have far-reaching benefits for our region. Projects that simultaneously create jobs and allow us to deliver our core outcomes, in this case, supporting safe and resilient communities,” Mr Leeder says.

The projects:

• Rangitāiki River Community Resilience and flood protection – completion of the Rangitāiki Floodway
• Implementing Ngongotahā Stream Independent Review – civil works; at-risk tree removal
• Rangitāiki floodwalls resilience
• Kaituna Mole upgrade
• Whakatāne town centre flood defence upgrade
• Waioeka Estuary concept