More than $12 million is being invested to improve the resilience of roads in the Nelson, Marlborough and Tasman regions that have been affected by recent extreme weather.
A dedicated Transport Resilience Fund has been established for early preventative works to protect the state highway network from future severe weather disruption.
Prime minister Chris Hipkins has also confirmed the regions will be eligible for funding from the $6 billion National Resilience Plan for projects that mitigate the effects of climate change and extreme weather.
“In this year’s budget we established the $419 million Transport Resilience Fund to support these investments that support our region’s recovery.
“Investing in resilience creates savings down the road, as well as ensuring communities aren’t cut off and isolated after extreme weather,” Hipkins says.
“No region can foot the bill for building transport resilience on their own. That’s why the Government is coming to the table to support regions with a range of fund to help them recover,” he says.
Transport minister David Parker says the funding is in addition to the $127 million the Government has invested in the top of the souths roads following flooding in 2021 and 2022.
“The Government also supports completion of the Hope Bypass and is setting aside funding in the recent Government’s recently announced transport plan.
“We are committed to support the region to rebuild and build back stronger from the challenges of recent times,” Parker says.
Roads in the region that will receive funding from the Transport Resilience Fund are:
- State Highway 6, Whangamoa Hill and Rai Saddle
- State Highway 6, Kawatiri to Owen River erosion
- State Highway 60, Birds Hill overslip
- State Highway 1, flooding at Dashwood
- State Highway 63, the Wash flooding
- Weld Pass long term detour route improvements study
- SH63 Windy Point and Narrows rockfall
- SH65 Higgins rockfall
- Salt Lake flooding investigation
- Tuamarina to Picton flooding
