Auckland storm recovery 2-year update

Publish Date : 23 Jan 2025
Auckland Council is removing or making safe buildings on high-risk properties it has purchased
Auckland Council is removing or making safe buildings on high-risk properties it has purchased

Auckland Council has made strong and steady progress in its recovery efforts from the 2023 storms, completing more than 80% of priority activities two years on.   

Recovery activities have involved over 800 significant roading slips, more than 200 wastewater and 16,000 stormwater issues, as well as damage across 1229 parks and community facilities, alongside over 7000 affected homes. Through this, it’s been essential to support the wellbeing needs of those affected.    

Homes  

Over 85% of 3537 homes that registered for future risk categories have received a final outcome, with 985 Category 3 homes eligible for a buy-out and 123 eligible for grants to make their home safer. Over 500 buy-outs have been completed and a home removal programme has begun ahead of decisions about future land decisions. It is estimated a total of 1200 homes will be eligible for a buy-out when the categorisation programme is completed in a few months. For more information see the latest property categorisation update. 

Community and wellbeing 

A total of $11.5m was raised from partners, social and wellbeing recovery to support and connect impacted whānau and communities with anything from alternative accommodation and insurance support, to counselling and homeware vouchers. The 1:1 Storm Recovery Navigation Service has supported over 2000 impacted whānau with 655 still receiving support. 19 organisations received mental wellbeing grants to support over 6000 storm impacted people. Going forward, 21 local groups are being supported to lead community recovery planning in impacted communities through a period of change.  

Transport  

From 2000+ slips across the local transport network, 80% of the remaining 800+ large slips have been completed requiring hundreds of tonnes of landslide removal. Currently 20 slips are under construction with work continuing over a 2–3-year programme. Auckland Transport is using artificial intelligence (AI) to identify landslide vulnerabilities on 8000km of the region’s roads. Recent roads reopened include Pine Valley and Scenic Drive which had 3 separate underslips and a large overslip. 

A large slip on Awhitu Road on the Awhitu Peninsula

Stormwater  

Across the stormwater network 16,238 reported issues were resolved (97%), including 650 blockages with 100 being critical. Hotspot cameras are being rolled out across key issue areas to monitor and proactively maintain critical stormwater assets, with 56 installed so far. Major debris removals requiring heavy machinery, including diggers and helicopters, were carried out at 54 sites. 72 community flood resilience events were held, with over 1424 volunteers and participants. Critical catchpits have been updated for improved water flow. Campaigns promoting flooding preparedness have driven 811,712 visits to the Flood Viewer map and related advice since July 2023. 

Flood resilience projects 

The first two flood resilience projects in Māngere East and Māngere Central have passed all necessary funding and consenting hurdles in record time. This means the $53 million projects will get underway soon – years ahead of a typical timeline. Next month the council will decide on the next phase of major priority projects to bring forward.  

Tonnes of debris has been removed from streams across Auckland, with many projects needing heavy machinery like diggers and helicopters

Parks and facilities  

Around 83% of 1229 projects across parks and community facilities assets have been completed. This includes damage to boardwalks, bridges, buildings, tracks, playgrounds and other assets. 306 tracks have been reopened,190 buildings and 61 damaged playgrounds have been remediated. Where safe, tracks and faculties were opened for the summer period, ahead of further remediation work this year.  

Water supply and wastewater 

Watercare has resolved more than 200 individual issues arising from the storms, connecting thousands of households back to the water supply. 82 of these sites still require more permeant repairs. These are major undertakings including large scale projects like Judges Bay wastewater repair and wastewater connections where temporary robust repairs are in place and a submersible water pump station, rising main and gravity sewer are being installed. Permanent repairs have been completed for 36 major projects and Watercare expects to have completed all recovery projects by mid-year. It is currently working on permanent wastewater reconnections for more than 500 houses in Castor Bay, Murray’s Bay, Torbay, Bayview and Titirangi. 

The Muriwai Water Treatment Plant

At the Muriwai Water Treatment Plant a slip buried and damaged part of the plant and reservoir

Emergency response  

19 local emergency plans have been adopted with 2 more on the way, including new community emergency hubs. Sites for new Civil Defence centres across Auckland have been identified to increase their number and geographical spread. They are now being provisioned and resourced. Almost 400 Auckland Council staff have completed critical emergency management training and new emergency response procedures and guides are in place for all staff, the Mayor and elected members. Key terms of reference have been updated to ensure a planned and well-coordinated cross-agency approach to future emergency responses. Campaigns informing the public about emergency preparedness will continue through household, local and Auckland-wide engagement.

Do you need support?

The anniversary of a natural disaster can be triggering, not only for those directly impacted but also for those supporting them. It’s normal to feel a range of emotions—sadness, anxiety, or even overwhelm—whether it’s your own feelings or empathy for someone you care about. Be patient with yourself and others, offer understanding, and take time to check in. Small acts of kindness, even for yourself, can make a big difference. Remember, it’s okay to feel, and it’s okay to seek support if you need it too.

Further support:

  • If you or someone you know needs some extra support right now, please reach out to a free helpline to chat with a trained counsellor. Free call or text 1737, text Youthline at 234, or look for other options here.
  • Ask your GP about free wellbeing support from health coaches or check out wellbeingsupport to find a provider near you..    
  • Age Concern Auckland provides a counselling service for older adults – call 0800 652 105 to find out more.
  • You can download the Groov and Headstrong wellbeing apps for free for Android and Apple phones – you can find them in your Google Play or Apple App Store.
  • Find more social and wellbeing supports on OurAukland.
For more information about recovery activities in Auckland, visit the OurAuckland website Recovery section. 
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