Some of the Stickered Area Residents Group at an earlier meeting with Auckland Council. Photo: RNZ / Maia Ingoe
- A group of West Auckland homeowners are impacted by by storm damage to council owned land
- They have told Auckland Council that they've fallen through the gaps of recovery funding
- An Auckland Council committee meeting has voted to create a capped fund to help the residents
Auckland homeowners still impacted by unrepaired storm damage on council owned land say a one-off fund to help repairs for some properties is a start to getting on with their lives.
The group of Titirangi residents told Auckland Council last month they have fallen through the gaps of recovery funding from last year's Auckland Anniversary floods.
Council estimates there are 40 to 50 homes impacted by unrepaired slips on council owned road reserve land.
The Transport, Resilience and Infrastructure Committee has voted on Thursday to establish a one-off scheme, using $5 million dollars of existing recovery funding, for property owners who have blocked access so they can make repairs.
The residents, coming together under the Stickered Area Residents Group, packed out the Auckland Town Hall meeting room.
Tony Proffit, left, and Thibault Beaujot are among the affected residents. Photo: RNZ / Maia Ingoe
Presenting ahead of the vote, residents Tony Proffit and Thibault Beaujot urged council to vote for Auckland Transport to undertake repairs on the road reserve land themselves.
"Today is not about playing politics, or pushing individual agendas. Today is not about division or delay. Today is about doing what is right for the people you represent. The families, the children, the elderly, the vulnerable people who have waited for this moment with hope, grace, and with patience," Thibault said.
But, recognising that was not recommended by council officers, they asked council to vote to use a pool of surplus money to create a new, one-off grant.
After much deliberation on a decision, council voted to establish the one-off scheme, with a capped budget of $5m, taken from the Transport Flood Recovery Fund.
It is limited to repair damage from the 2023 storm events, and will only provide funding for properties with access blocked by damage on council-owned land.
The details of the scheme are still be finalised, but resident Tony Proffit said it still left some residents in limbo - those with homes at risk from slips and other damage from the floods unable to access the funding.
"About fifty percent of the people are getting this funding, and the other half aren't," he said.
"At the moment they've limited it to access, and it doesn't pick up the people whose homes are in danger because of the stability of the council land."
Proffit said they will continue working with councillors and with Auckland Transport, to find a way for the funds to support the whole group - and were looking at pushing for government funding.
"This is a starting point, it gets the funds on the table, and we'll continue to work really closely with the decision makers to agree on how those funds should be distributed.
"We've been willing to be patient, but now this allows us to move forward."
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
