The majority of the $3.4million today approved as part of a $5million ratepayer funded levy to fix stormwater problems around the city will be spent in the suburb of Matua.

Tauranga City Council today approved a ratepayer funded levy towards providing an additional $5million to address flood issues.

The work could include land purchases of flood affected homes and areas needed to move forward with stormwater works, reports TCC.

Flooding during the April storm.

Kiriwai Place in Matua.

'Following today's Council meeting, confidential negotiations have started on potential property purchases where land is needed for the proposed stormwater projects,” says TCC in a media statement.

The stormwater levy adds 4.7 percent to the rates requirement and is a response to flooding seen across the city this April.

TCC advises the levy will complement the existing $5.5m that is already allocated in the 2014/15 Annual Plan for stormwater improvement works in the Mount Industrial area.

The new stormwater levy spent in the 2014/15 year is made up of $1.2m for stormwater modelling and other work to better understand stormwater issues across the city.

A total of $400,000 will go to the Mount Industrial Project already underway.

The largest chunk of $3.4m will towards stormwater improvement projects on the city's flooding ‘hotspots'.

The majority of this amount will be invested in the Matua peninsula, says TCC.

'It will enable preparatory work, including potential land purchases where needed, to move stormwater improvements forward in the two most flood-prone areas of Matua that have been identified from the modelling project and supported by complaints following flood events.”

Remaining funds will help with ongoing minor stormwater improvement work like catchpit upgrades across the city.