Buyout process to start soon for flood, cyclone-affected Aucklanders

The buyout process for flood and cyclone-affected Aucklanders is set to start later this month after the council agreed to a cost-sharing agreement with the Government.

Around 700 properties will be bought out, with insured owners getting up to 95% of the pre-storm market value.

The council said the decision was unanimous, with Mayor Wayne Brown saying that a fair balance had to be struck.

"Eight months on from the floods, many Aucklanders are still dealing with that devastation. We have agreed to the Government's proposal to give them a helping hand out of it. That is the right thing to do," he said.

Under the agreement, insured Category 3 homeowners will receive up to 95% of the pre-flood market value, with the remaining 5% of the property value acting like an insurance excess.

Uninsured Category 3 homeowners will be offered at least 80%.

Auckland Council says the buyout scheme will cost $774 million in total, with the Government paying half — $387 million.

However, many affected individuals believe there needs to be better planning for the next natural disaster, so buyouts like this don't happen again.

Muriwai resident Abe Dew can't live in his house due to the risk of a landslide, despite the fact his house is undamaged.

"It's gonna happen again, and probably with greater intensity and greater frequency than it's happened before and any government has to be prepared to deal with that," he told 1News.

Auckland's deputy mayor Desley Simpson said that while the agreement was made by the existing government, it should also be applicable after the election.

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"My understanding is that this deal will be signed by the existing government, and my understanding is also that it has been discussed with other parties who have given an obligation to honour the agreement."

The buyouts are in conjunction with a $2 billion flood and recovery plan, with the deal including $820 million to "fund projects that will help build resilience against future flood events" and $390 million towards "recovery costs of the transport network directly impacted by the storms", according to Auckland Council.