During the third phase we can undertake major repair works, those generally costing more than $100k per site, with higher risk and requiring geotechnical investigations and detailed design work.
Each site requires an application to Waka Kotahi and funding approval.
Activities include:
- complex rock spall retention walls
- shear key retention walls
- timber or concrete pile retaining walls.
Funding the recovery through rates and Government subsidies
When an extreme weather event causes damage to a local road network, Waka Kotahi (NZTA, the New Zealand Government's Transport Agency) provides a funding process to assist Councils with the cost of repairs.
The normal Funding Assistance Rate (FAR) for Whangārei District, across all subsidised road maintenance and renewals activities, is 53%.
When the funding request for emergency works within any year exceeds 10% of the approved Maintenance, Operations, and Renewals (MOR) budget, the FAR is increased by 20%.
In the case of Cyclone Gabrielle, an additional one-off special funding assistance rate of 40% has been advised above the normal FAR.
Councils are required to fund the remaining balance which is generally provided for through their Emergency Response Reserve Fund provisions, however with the extent of the current damage, the cost of the local share exceeds the available reserves.
Additional unbudgeted funds will need to be approved by elected members of each Northland Council.