In January 2024 Council appointed independent consultancy firms Align and Simpson Grierson to negotiate a purchase price with Category 3 property owners. In March, Council took ownership of the first Category 3 property.

Negotiation and settlement is a complex process and homeowners are being provided with support.

Removal and demolition of Category 3 properties purchased by Council is underway and due to be completed by the end of summer 2025. Local not-for-profits are reusing and repurposing items to help reduce waste.

Once Category 3 land is owned by Council, we need to decide how to use the land safely, considering the risks of flooding and land instability. To ensure the decisions are transparent and consistent we developed a policy.
Policy Framework for Decisions on Storm Affected Land 2024 - adopted by Council, December 2024.

Although the framework is in place, it will take some time to make decisions including appropriate engagement as outlined in the policy.

Land category map for our district

The maps shows the land categories - the number of affected properties currently identified in our region as at 1 August:

• Category 3 - 69 properties, 15 of which are under the DPMC whenua Māori and marae pathway
• Category 2P - 163 properties.
• Category 2C - 15 properties.

Information about the process

Why is it taking so long to sort out and what can I do?

It's very complex, and there's not a one-size-fits-all answer for each situation.

It's important for everyone, homeowners and Council, to have confidence in the information and evidence available to make the best decisions possible when considering the options to address risk.

While we want to give people certainty as quickly as possible, we need to make sure we have all the information needed to make the right decision. There's a range of options for each situation and we want to make sure that decision-making takes into account the wide range of views and experiences of those who will be most impacted.

Who decides that a property is Category 3?

The Government's FOSAL framework specifies that Council is responsible for classifying land.

A technical panel of Council staff with the required expertise are assessing the properties and being assisted by other experts as and when required.

The qualifications of the panel are too many to list but they range from Council staff with over 20 years’ experience, doctorates in the geotechnical area to outside consultants with CPEng or PENgGeol registration.

The technical panel recommends the category status with the final sign off by Council’s Chief Executive.

What evidence was used to determine that the category applied is correct?

The panel used information and evidence from site visits, discussions with individual property owners, technical assessments, natural hazard overlay in the District Plan (TRMP), information from previous flooding events, information on flood heights, flood velocity and the extent of inundation.

An external company Pattle Delamore Partners (PDP) was appointed to peer review the process Council has applied for the categorisations and concluded it was a suitable methodology.