Buy-out of private properties affected by slips Debate

Environmental Benefits - Sustainability

Option 3

The residents supporting Option 3 express concerns about the sustainability of buy-out practices for future events, highlighting the need for a more robust and proactive approach to land-use management and hazard mitigation. They emphasize the importance of setting aside funds for ongoing land management costs, which are expected to be substantial, to ensure environmental sustainability. Additionally, there is a suggestion to lower the percentage of market value offered for buy-outs, especially for uninsured properties and those impacted by slips from private land, to conserve resources for broader, proactive environmental strategies.

Table of comments:

Point No	Comment
169.2	Support the buy-out of these properties but concerned over how a similar situation may be resolved in the future. This  won't be last event of this type.  Can Council afford to do this again? There appears to be a gap in the home insurance system/EQC rules where dwellings that are subject to great landslide risk following an event, but have not yet been affected (or red stickered) aren't covered? It seems strong active Central Govt advocation is required to resolve these types of situations in the future. The 50% Funding offer from Central Govt does not seem to cover ongoing management of the land instability in these areas? And there seems to be no cost estimate of that which is unfortunate in trying to make a recommendation. I support option 3 since it appears to leave more money aside to spend on ongoing land management costs which will be substantial.
732.2	I believe that the percentage of market value offered for the buy-outs should be lower that the draft principles in the case of uninsured properties and properties impacted by slips from private land. I think it is a dangerous precedent for council to be taking full responsibility for these scenarios. While unfortunate for the landowners, council should focus spending money on proactive land-use management and hazard mitigation, rather than reactively spending money to bail out a few individual landowners. There will undoubtedly be future events where there is significant damage from storm& earthquake induced landslides and it will be unaffordable to offer these kinds of buyouts in future.Any money saved by offering lower % buy-out offers could be directed to better education about hazards and hazard mitigation for private properties.