$5.09 million approved for next phase of Kaikōura flood recovery
Priority flood recovery work across Kaikōura will continue over the next two years after Environment Canterbury councillors unanimously approved $5.09 million from general rates.
The decision, made at the Council meeting on 23 September, provides greater certainty for critical repair and resilience work to continue at pace during the 2026/27 and 2027/28 financial years.
The Kaikōura community has experienced a major flood, and recovery will take time. This funding means we can continue repairing damaged flood protection assets, reducing ongoing risks and focusing work where it will make the greatest difference.
Funding the next phase
Wednesday’s decision follows an agreement in July to contribute $5.09 million, or 40 per cent, towards a proposed $12.73 million package of recovery and resilience work, conditional on the remaining 60 per cent being secured through the Regional Infrastructure Fund. The package covered in the proposal did not represent the full cost of recovery or future improvements across Kaikōura’s flood protection network.
When that government funding was not approved, Council faced a choice between finding another way to fund the next phase or scaling back critical recovery work.
While it was disappointing the Regional Infrastructure Fund contribution did not come through, the need for the work had not changed. Councillors agreed it was important to keep making progress on the repairs that matter most for the safety and resilience of the Kaikōura community.
Planning for the longer term
The $5.09 million provides certainty for priority recovery work over the next two years, but it does not fund the entire longer-term programme.
Environment Canterbury will continue assessing the work and investment needed across Kaikōura’s river network. Future decisions will be made through the appropriate planning processes, with opportunities for community input.
Work completed so far has improved resilience, but some parts of the river and flood protection network remain vulnerable.
Because recovery and resilience work of this scale is too costly for communities to carry alone, we will continue advocating for sustained central government co-investment, both to support Kaikōura’s longer-term recovery and to provide a more sustainable way of funding the flood protection and resilience infrastructure communities rely on.
The community can stay up-to-date on progress on work underway, what comes next and how people can have their say on longer-term priorities.