Auckland flooding: Council's $1 billion recovery package revealed by Mayor Wayne Brown
Related video: Auckland was hit by flooding again last week. Credits: Newshub. Auckland Council says it will allocate $1 billion or more as part of its recovery from flooding that lashed the super city this year. The funds will cover initiatives including "increased stormwater maintenance and stream rehabilitation to blue-green projects and site-specific solutions for high-risk properties", Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown said in a statement. Auckland was devastated by the flash flooding in January, which was prompted by record-breaking rainfall. The supercity was also hit hard by Cyclone Gabrielle in February. "The cost of addressing flood risks in an acceptable timeframe is beyond the capacity of Auckland Council alone. At this stage, the indicative cost… is likely to be in excess of $1 billion over six years," the statement said. "Funding to support the programme next year would be part of the final mayoral proposal. Additional sources of funding would also need to be investigated, including private sources, targeted rates and central Government." The council would continue discussions with the central Government around the recovery, the statement said. "I appreciate that many Aucklanders require greater certainty. This requires significant funding and takes time but work is underway at pace," said Brown. Dubbed ' Making Space for Water' , the package would "deliver on our commitment to giving communities the tools they need to be resilient" to climate change, Brown said in the statement. The Government at the weekend also allocated $1.1 billion to help communities recover from Cyclone Gabrielle and flooding. "Auckland Council is looking forward to continued discussions with central Government and welcomes this weekend's Budget announcements," the Mayor's statement said.