Most New Zealanders believe central government and councils should share the cost of flood protection, according to a poll commissioned by Local Government New Zealand and released to RNZ. The Curia survey of 1,000 likely voters found 58 per cent favoured a shared approach, while 18 per cent said councils alone should pay and 14 per cent said only central government should; the rest were unsure.
LGNZ regional sector chair Deon Swiggs said the rising cost of flooding needed to be addressed in an election fought on the cost of living, noting that there is no permanent central funding for flood schemes such as stopbanks. Ratepayers meet the baseline cost, he said, with government help usually arriving only after a disaster. Greater Wellington chair Daran Ponter said investing before floods would save money and keep people safer. The poll was carried out from 1 to 5 October.
Source: RNZ