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Environment Canterbury councillors hope South Canterbury will get its share of $6 billion worth of resilience funding, announced by the Government in the 2023 Budget, following a visit from Minister Kieran McAnulty on Thursday.
McAnulty was joined by Rangitata MP and Customs Minister Jo Luxton as he met with representatives from the regional council, Venture Timaru and PrimePort Timaru to hear their concerns and learn about projects each is working on.
With responsibility for emergency management, local government, racing, regional development and rural communities, McAnulty said a visit to Timaru pretty much covered all his portfolios.
First up was a tour of South Canterbury’s coastline by helicopter, arranged by ECan.
ECan chair Peter Scott said they
had been requesting McAnulty, due to his portfolios, visit the region to take a look at the issues it faces.
“With the increase in significant weather events in the last few years, we were starting to question the resilience of the protection systems we have in place at our rivers.
“We’ve approached Central Government over the last year for core investment in flood protection for infrastructure.
“Along the rivers there are Transpower assets, bridges, local power networks. We’re not looking to build higher stop banks, but we’re looking for multi layer protection,” Scott said.
JOHN BISSET/Stuff
Kieran McAnulty pictured at the Caroline Bay Piazza on Thursday.
He said the meeting gave ECan an opportunity to show McAnulty the work already done, and what was needed.
“The shovel ready projects we showed him on the Rangitata River were the restoration of flood prevention taken away and some repairs to the damage done by the floods in 2020.
“We also showed him the soil erosion that’s happening at Browns Beach.”
McAnulty said it was “nice to see firsthand” the work done and to talk about future plans.
“We saw a number of projects that the Government has funded, resilience projects which is a real priority for us and Cyclone Gabrielle has shown why it needs to be a priority,” McAnulty said.
“Obviously after the floods down this way a couple of years ago it caused some significant damage. There needed to be some investment so through the shovel ready project, we were keen to do that.”
JOHN BISSET/Stuff
Luxton said the purpose of getting McAnulty to South Canterbury was to show him the concerns she has seen and heard from the residents.
McAnulty said Luxton was a “massive” advocate for Rangitata, pushing for a second bridge across the Ashburton River and for support for coastal communities affected by the impacts of climate change.
“We do know with climate change these events are going to be more severe and more frequent, and we have to invest in resilience now.
“We can’t escape the fact that the climate is changing, and it’s having a massive impact on rural communities, in particular, and so economies and regions like this are hugely crucial to our country.
“But when a severe weather or a natural disaster happens, they are ones that get hit the hardest.
“Everything I look at, whether it be in a helicopter or go to a port or go to a school or hospital, all I think about is resilience at the moment.”
JOHN BISSET/Stuff
McAnulty said PrimePort Timaru was a “crucial part” of the local economy.
McAnulty said some of the $6 billion resilience fund in the last budget could be available to South Canterbury.
“That’s something the Government has signalled that we wish to partner with local councils to do moving forwards. That was the original plan, but then Cyclone Gabrielle obviously warranted redirecting of the funds in the first instance.
“That’s more of a next year and beyond conversation.”
McAnulty said PrimePort Timaru was a “crucial part” of the local economy, and he spoke with representatives there about resilience planning.
“If there is a large earthquake, it’s likely that the roading network, possibly the rail will be impacted so coastal shipping is going to be crucial for here to be a lifeline.”
JOHN BISSET/Stuff
Luxton said one of her concerns was the Rangitata Huts.
Luxton said she had asked McAnulty to visit as she wanted to show him areas of concern, such as issues faced by the residents of the Rangitata Huts settlement which was at risk of flooding.
“When I first went to visit them they shared their concerns around their overtopping.
“And that’s something I went back and shared with the Minister straight away, because for these people this is a place where some of them have spent their childhood years growing up and some of them are 80–90 years old now. It has a special place in their hearts, and they have such a connection with it,” Luxton said.
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