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Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown is proposing a $1.4 billion flood recovery programme that includes daylighting streams in flood-risk areas and managed retreat.

The “Making Space for Water” programme is being developed by the council’s Healthy Waters stormwater division and is planned to be rolled out over six years, not the 30 years it would normally take.

It is a response to the summer’s storm that led to about 1700 properties being red or yellow-stickered, landslides and severe damage to roads across the region.

Today, Brown said with thousands of properties directly affected by recent floods, Aucklanders want clear communication, direction and leadership from central and local government to help them make decisions.

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown. Photo / Jed Bradley

He said the council needs to make space for water to move safely through the region without causing unacceptable risks to people, property, infrastructure and the environment.

“Preparing for floods is an important part of climate change adaptation. We are taking action to drive significant progress and deliver on our commitment to giving communities the tools they need to be resilient,” he said.

The programme will go to the council’s governing body for approval for public consultation.

The $1.4b cost is a high-level estimate by Healthy Waters and could feed into Brown’s final mayoral proposal for this year’s budget.

Other possible funding sources include central government, the private sector and a targeted rate.

Brown said the cost of addressing flood risk in an acceptable timeframe is beyond the capacity of the council alone.

About 1700 homes have been red and yellow-stickered across Auckland. Photo / File

The programme proposes nine initiatives, ranging from increased stormwater maintenance and stream rehabilitation to blue-green projects and site-specific solutions for high-risk properties.

“Making Space for Water” would prioritise known areas of critical flood risk, but further investigative work is needed before these locations can be confirmed.

Last week, Brown met Finance Minister Grant Robertson and Auckland Minister Michael Wood, who all agreed that central and local government’s approach to flood and cyclone recovery needs to be aligned.

The Government’s Cyclone Gabrielle Recovery Taskforce is leading a process – with involvement from insurance companies, banks, and Auckland Council – to engage with affected communities and individuals.

The initiatives are:

- Blue-green networks in critical flood-risk areas: Stormwater solutions (stream widening and realignment), enhancing parkland or open space, and property acquisition and removal.

- High-risk properties: Working with property owners on engineering solutions, managed retreat and property acquisition.

- Culvert and bridge upgrades: The assessment, replacement and upgrade of vulnerable assets.

- Overland flow path management: Work to repair, maintain and monitor overland flow paths, and educate property owners.

- Rural settlements: Responding to three waters needs in storm-affected communities including marae and papakāinga, and supporting community resilience planning.

- Flood intelligence: Investment in planning and modelling tools to enhance council decision-making.

- Stream rehabilitation: Vegetation management, slope stabilisation, bank battering, stream channel modification and advice for property owners.

 -Community-led flood resilience: Advice for property owners in high-risk areas, industry-specific advice, public events, and awareness campaigns

- Increased maintenance: Maximising stormwater networks’ efficiency, including street sweeping, catch pit cleaning, and weed clearance from streams.