Yahoo Xtra Headline; says: "Extensive flood damage in the Far North is expected to cost up to $50 million, with extensive repairs needed on the regions roads and sewerage infrastructure. The Far North is recovering from extensive flood damage, after heavy rain wreaked havoc for the second time in four months. Today the Far North District Council said a preliminary estimate of total costs arising from last week's flood were $44 million to $49 million. Recovery manager Trevor Norton said as well as infrastructural, property, environmental, welfare and utilities costs, the council's recovery team estimated up to 400 Far North businesses, including farms, were affected with losses of about $6 million. A multiplier effect on the wider economy could amount to a further $12 million, he said.The estimated cost of damage to council roads was estimated at $6 million with most of the costs - about 80 percent - expected to be in repairs to underslips, which would take some time to complete, he said. There were more than 30 sites where road width was reduced by large underslips and new underslips could continue to appear in the wake of a flood, he said. Around 70 Far North roads were closed due to a combination of events including fallen trees, deep flooding, under and overslips and damaged bridge approaches, during the severe wind and rain event."
