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Auckland’s recovery – community update
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Auckland recovery picks up speed but signals a long way to goProperty categorisations are advancing in Auckland with March being a busy month for the recovery team. As of 22 March, 803 homes had received a final categorisation with 266 classed as Category 3 and eligible for a buy-out. Of these Category 3 homes, 150 had received or accepted a buy-out offer, and 28 properties had completed their sale and purchase agreements.
“Most of the ‘clear-cut’ categories have already been confirmed and we’re into the harder ones where potential solutions, both at the home and with community infrastructure, take more engineering time and effort to quantify. As we signalled last year, categorisations for these complex cases will continue through to mid-year for those that opted in by the end of 2023,” says Group Recovery Manager Mat Tucker.
“We had hoped to be able to finalise more categories by now, but we need to take the necessary time with these complex cases so that we have technically and legally robust decisions.
“In the meantime, we’re doing everything we can to boost progress. This includes adding extra resourcing and budget, while also leaning on resources from other parts of the country and in Australia.
“But ultimately, as we have seen in other disaster-impacted jurisdictions – both nationally and internationally – recovery inherently takes time.”
If you opted-in in 2023, but have not received your property category, we will contact you directly to provide an update in the next few weeks.
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Property categorisation opt-ins to close on 30 SeptemberStorm-affected homeowners will have until 30 September 2024 to opt-in to Auckland Council’s property categorisation programme and have their home assessed for future flood or landslide risk. The Category 3 and 2P schemes provide financial support for owners of homes where we identify an intolerable risk to life for people living in the home. Auckland Council’s Governing Body today confirmed the opt-in deadline to enable council to complete risk assessments ahead of Crown partnership funding for Category 3 buy-outs ending in 2025.
Group Recovery Manager, Mat Tucker, says despite the challenges of categorising the 2600 homes already signed up, he is worried some homeowners may miss out altogether. “We want to hear from homeowners that suffered habitable floor flooding or didn’t have a safe evacuation route from the home in the storms last year, as this may indicate future risk to life at the property.”
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First home begins deconstructionLast week we began deconstructing our first home, marking an important milestone in Auckland’s recovery. The Category 3 home in Muriwai had been purchased by Auckland Council under our recovery programme.
As the first home to be deconstructed, it provides the opportunity to pilot our sustainable deconstruction approach. We estimate around 600 storm-damaged houses will be deconstructed over the next 24 months across Tāmaki Makaurau.
“We know that this is an emotional time for the community. It will also be a frustrating time for those who are still waiting for their property category. We hear you, and we are working as fast as we can,” says Mat Tucker, Group Recovery Manager.
The process
We’ll be taking great care to deconstruct most of the homes we are working with, to ensure as much material as possible can be repurposed via community partners. Where possible we’ll also remove some entire homes for a new life elsewhere, but in some cases where safety is a concern we may need to demolish the building.
We will notify the former homeowners and neighbours before we begin property removal, deconstruction or demolition work.
The land after deconstruction/removal
Auckland Council is working on a policy for the future use of storm impacted land, to ensure that decisions about the future of these sites are appropriate.
The land we buy through the Category 3 Scheme has been assessed as unsafe for its current residential use, so much of it is likely to be kept for other uses that are considered safe (such as parkland and blue-green networks). Some land could possibly be repurposed or redeveloped, but only if a risk assessment identifies that this is a safe option. Confirming the future land use may take years in some cases.
We’ll keep you updated when this policy is agreed and approved by the council’s Governing Body.
Kāinga Ora properties
Kāinga Ora have also begun their programme of demolishing storm-damaged properties in west Auckland, Sandringham, Wesley and Mount Roskill, Totaravale, and Hillcrest. They are currently expecting to complete this by the end of April/early May, subject to contractor progress.
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More information released regarding changes to Temporary Accommodation AssistanceMore information regarding the changes to Temporary Accommodation Assistance announced in December 2023 have been confirmed by government. On 1 April 2024, Temporary Accommodation Assistance from the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) will be available to more New Zealanders displaced from their homes due to the severe weather events.
Storm-affected residents who qualify under the new criteria will now include:
- People whose homes are uninhabitable but did not receive a red or yellow placard from their council
- People whose lack of insurance cover was for reasons outside of their control, having taken reasonable steps to get insurance cover in time
- People whose choice of temporary accommodation was not previously eligible, such as flats and house sharing agreements, hire agreements for cabins, mobile homes or caravans, lodging or boarding arrangements, or commercial accommodation.
MSD is not extending this support to people whose homes are solely held in trusts due to the complex legislative changes that are required.
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Deputy Mayor advocates to the banking sectorDeputy Mayor Desley Simpson and members of the Recovery Office leadership team met with representatives from the New Zealand Banking Association (NZBA) recently to discuss Auckland’s recovery. This is part of Auckland Council’s ongoing programme of advocacy to the banking and insurance industry, on behalf of storm-affected homeowners.
“When I’ve been meeting people in impacted communities, I’ve heard from many homeowners that they’ve struggled to get support for their unique situation from their banks, or that they’re reluctant to make use of products such as mortgage holidays because of fear it could impact their credit rating,” says Deputy Mayor Simpson.
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Webinar recording now availableThe Tāmaki Makaurau Recovery Office webinar on how we measure risk and decide property categories is now available to view on the Auckland Council Storm-related community engagement webpage. This is a more in-depth look at how our technical specialists assess and measure the ‘intolerable risk to life’ threshold, for both flood and landslide risk.
We will shortly advertise webinars on:
- Insurance related issues (Q&A with industry experts)
- Information for Category 1 property owners
- Property deconstruction and future land use.
Dates and times are yet to be confirmed, but we will keep you posted. If you’d like to catch up on our webinars, you can find them all on the Auckland Council website.
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Question of the weekI understand that the Category 2P scheme provides grants for property mitigation work, up to the value of 25 per cent of my home’s capital value (CV). Given contractors charge GST, do you calculate the 25 per cent as including or excluding GST?
We calculate the 25 per cent as inclusive of GST.
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Tāmaki Makaurau Recovery Plan: Introducing our Community and Social WhenuThe Community and Social Recovery whenu (strand) is about supporting and enabling individuals, whānau and communities who have been affected by the 2023 severe weather events to resolve the impacts on their lives. It involves working together with others and taking a long-term view, recognising that things may not stay the same.
While disasters often bring out the best in communities – unity, a sense of purpose, a pride in place – they can also exacerbate long-standing inequities. Well-resourced residents are generally able to rebuild their lives, while disadvantaged and more marginalised communities are often left worse off than before. The recovery effort therefore includes a focus on communities of greatest need and looks to address the underlying causes of inequity. This includes considering the needs of renters as well as homeowners.
To learn more about the Community and Social Recovery whenu, view or download the Tāmaki Makaurau Recovery Plan online.
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Piha and Karekare geotechnical update: 28 MarchAs we send out this newsletter, Auckland Council has now confirmed property categories for 106 out of 119 properties in Piha and Karekare. The remaining 13 properties in the GHD study areas will receive their categories in April.
For those who have received their property category, your assessment report may refer to GNS Science monitoring data. To find this information, you can visit the GeoNet website and zoom in on the national map and click on the two Piha receivers. You will be provided with graphs that will show any movement at the sites.
GHD study areas
There is one GHD study area in Piha and one in Karekare. If you live in a study area, you will automatically be part of the property categorisation process and will have been contacted by the council.
If you sustained flooding or landslide damage during the 2023 weather events, and you have not heard from us, you can opt into the property categorisation process.
To see if you are part of a GHD study area, you can view this report (29MB).
Support
If you, or your whānau need help, we have navigators available to support you. Please email your navigator directly or contact navigators@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz.
If you have any questions about your property’s risk assessment, please email propertycategory@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz. We also have lots of information on OurAuckland, including FAQs, that you may find helpful.
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$1.6m boost for mental wellbeing supportThis month the Tāmaki Makaurau Recovery Office allocated $1.6 million in grants to support the mental wellbeing of Auckland communities, whānau and individuals impacted by the severe weather events in 2023.
Te Whatu Ora and the Ministry of Social Development provided the funding, to enable organisations and iwi to support storm-affected whānau on their journey to recovery. The funding is specifically directed towards our rangatahi (young people), therapeutic support and initiatives that build social cohesion.
The Recovery Office received 46 applications for grant funding from experienced providers across the region, with 19 grants now approved. Free services these providers will deliver via the funding include counselling, tools, programmes and resources.
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Wellbeing support for tamariki and rangatahiFree counselling and other support initiatives are available for children and young people experiencing trauma and anxiety linked to the severe weather events that impacted Tāmaki Makaurau in early 2023.
Youthline and 0800 What's Up offer advice, mentoring, face-to-face, and online counselling services to support young people in their recovery journey.
0800 What's Up counselling sessions can accommodate up to four members of your whānau hosted in their Māngere office or any community room around Auckland that suits you. For more information on this service contact Karen at What's Up karen.barnett@barnardos.org.nz or 027 217 7579.
Sparklers at Home is a helpful service that provides activities and ideas for tamariki under 12 years to help them find calm, feel good and manage their worries.
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Additional funding for Auckland flood resilienceLast week the Government announced they are contributing $2 million to support community-driven flood resilience projects in Tāmaki Makaurau.
“This funding is for a ‘Storm-Ready Fund’, led by Auckland Council, spanning community clean-up events to remove debris from streams, maintenance crews to unblock drains, and provide advice to residents on actions to reduce flood risks,” says Mark Mitchell, Emergency Management and Recovery Minister.
This is great news and very welcome in Tāmaki Makaurau. Given this is still fresh, we will be working with the Government on how we bring this to life, alongside community partners. We’ll be reaching out to communities as we know more.
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Red Cross ‘home bundles’ offer a little more hope to struggling householdsThanks to the ongoing generous support of the Red Cross, Recovery Office navigators have given over 50 displaced and struggling households across Tāmaki Makaurau home bundles with essentials like bedding and furniture. And we’ve just received 50 more bundles, so we can support more whānau and individuals in need.
One of our partner navigators, Jocelyn from Affirming Works says, “I have found that many families say that they are doing fine when asked… however these families… are often going without essentials. The home bundles have proven to be vital for families, offering not just essential items but also a sense of reassurance that it's alright to ask for, and receive, help.” |
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Cyclone Gabrielle Appeal Trust FundLast week the Cyclone Gabrielle Appeal Trust opened for grant applications. The trustees are looking to fund small-scale projects that communities, iwi, hapū and marae want and can quickly complete.
The funding round is open for applications until 29 May 2024 and grant decisions will be notified by 25 July 2024. Information about the grants and how to apply can be found on the Cyclone Gabrielle Appeal website.
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Auckland Transport: North Rural update
Read AT’s North Rural construction update for March 2024. Some great progress has been made towards repairing over 320 slips in the north rural area alone, include Ahuroa Road, Pūhoi (pictured above).
Keep up to date about region-wide road repairs on the AT website.
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New to this newsletter?If you’re new to this newsletter, there’s a few things you can do to get up to speed on property categorisations, buy-outs, placards and more.
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Need support?Various social and wellbeing support is available to people affected by the 2023 severe weather events. This includes free help with processing home insurance claims, rates relief, and identifying other services you may be eligible for, such as temporary accommodation assistance, and other financial and mental health support.
Find out what support is available on OurAuckland.
Navigator drop-ins
We have upcoming navigator drop-in events in Epsom, Māngere, Mt Roskill, Northcote and Browns Bay where you can speak face-to-face with our navigators.
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