The Future of Severely Affected Locations (FOSAL) Voluntary Buy-out and Relocation Programme aimed to remove the risk to life for people living on Category 3 land.

Category 3 is land designated as no longer being safe to live on following the North Island Weather Events (NIWE) of January and February 2023. These events included Cyclones Hale and Gabrielle, which severely impacted eastern and coastal areas of Wairarapa, along with other parts of the country.

The Wairarapa Recovery Office coordinated the voluntary buy-out and relocation programme for eligible landowners in the Masterton area. To be eligible, landowners needed to own land assessed as Category 3 with one or more dwellings as at 13 February 2023.

The Wairarapa Recovery Office has recently closed. For more information about the programme, contact the recently established Wairarapa Emergency Management Office by emailing recovery@mstn.govt.nz