This morning, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, Minister for Emergency Management Kieran McAnulty and Transport Minister Michael Wood visited Woodbourne air base near Blenheim and met with locals and volunteers impacted by last month's devastating floods in the upper South Island.
Ardern said there was more work to be done to assess the damage from the flooding and the repairs needed for the roading network.
McAnulty said he had spoken to Marlborough mayor John Leggett this morning, and now had approval to add another $100,000 to the mayoral relief fund.
That was in addition to donations from the community.
The additional money would bring the government contribution to the Nelson/Tasman and Marlborough mayoral relief funds to $500,000, he said.
Marlborough roads manager Steve Murrin and Transport Minister Michael Wood survey the road network in the Marlborough Sounds from the air on 1 September, 2022, after flooding in August caused damages. Photo: RNZ / Samantha Gee
Ardern said the contribution sat alongside other funding from local and central government and other groups, including the rural support trust.
The council had been doing some work to identify the damage to houses and affected communities, she said.
"We do have a number who are isolated as a result of some of these events, some of whom will be using barge access to get to their homes."
There were 2600 faults and it was hard to say how long it would take to repair those, Ardern said.
In some cases, the same roads that had only recently been repaired were those which had been damaged.
McAnulty said despite good progress, dozens of homes were still uninhabitable or severely damaged, and a number of remote communities were still without road access.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern talks to Rai Valley residents on 1 September, 2022 after recent flooding caused widespread damage to the reading network across Nelson and the Marlborough Sounds. Photo: RNZ / Samantha Gee
"We know that while the severe weather event itself was over in a matter of days, recovery is likely to take years."
He thanked Marlborough's "hard-hit communities" for their patience and understanding.
"I know this has been really tough on you and I assure you, local and central government will continue to work together to support your recovery.
"It is too early to know the cost of this event, but it's clear that the damage has been extensive. Once we have a clear picture of the damage we'll have a better idea of the support that central government could provide to the local council."
Leggett said the areas that had been hard-hit covered an area of about 4000 square kilometres.
Whatever repair work was undertaken would need to future proof those roads, he said.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern greets members of the Rai Valley community at the Rai Valley Area School library on 1 September, 2022, with Transport Minister Michael Wood, Emergency Management Minister Kieran McAnulty, Marlborough District Council chief executive Mark Wheeler and Marlborough Mayor John Leggett. Photo: RNZ / Samantha Gee
Asked if the damage could mean some areas in Marlborough Sounds could in future be boat access only, he said that was a possibility and would be part of the conversation in future.
That conversation would involve Marlborough Roads, Waka Kotahi and iwi.
"As a council we had the experience in July 2021 and we've been able to act very quickly."
Residents had been given access to a subsidised water taxi, he said.
"The last time we had a mayoral relief fund in operation we used it to provide that barging service ... it can help a lot of people."
On a visit to Marlborough after flooding devastated the region, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern meets with Rai Valley Area School principal Maree Furness on 1 September, 2022. Photo: RNZ / Samantha Gee
The council wanted to get in very early and give people the assurance they would be part of the response, he said.
The most extensively-damaged section of State Highway 6 - the main route linking Nelson and Blenheim - reopened yesterday afternoon, following a "massive effort" by contractors, Waka Kotahi Top of the South Island system manager Andrew James told Morning Report.
"Over the last five days they've had over 70 staff on the site there ... huge amounts of machinery and they've shifted amount of soil, done a lot of drainage works," he said.
"We're finally there to getting the road open ... so we're pretty pleased."
Waka Kotahi said last week that it was aiming to reopen State Highway 63 - Renwick to St Arnaud - during the week of 12 September, with restrictions in place while repairs took place.
Eighty-eight houses have now been red or yellow stickered, and officials are still establishing how many of those are permanently resided in.
Marlborough's Wairau River in flood on 20 August, 2022. Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver
