Taroko park post-quake restoration estimated at NT$1b: Minister

Taipei, April 15 (CNA) It will cost roughly NT$1 billion (US$30.92 million) to restore Taroko National Park after it was severely damaged by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake on April 3, Interior Minister Lin Yu-chang (林右昌) said Monday.

Speaking at a legislative hearing on reconstruction after the April 3 earthquake, Lin said several hiking trails, facilities and structures in the mountainous park were severely damaged by the earthquake, whose epicenter was about 50 kilometers from the park's main entrance.

According to preliminary estimates, the cost of restoring portions of the park that are the responsibility of the Ministry of the Interior (MOI) will be more than NT$1 billion, Lin said, without offering any further specifics and what exactly that funding would cover.

He noted, however, that the estimate does not cover repairs to the main traffic artery that runs through the park -- the Central Cross-island Highway (Provincial Highway No. 8) -- which will be the responsibility of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications.

More accurate estimates will not be available until a damage assessment is completed in about two weeks, Lin said, attributing the slow process to the many aftershocks in the area that make surveying it difficult.

Taroko National Park stretches from the northern Hualien County coast as far inland as Mt. Hehuan near the border of Hualien and Nantou counties.

It is best known for the stunning Taroko Gorge and the cross-island highway along the Liwu River that cuts through it. The gorge and nearby trails were buried in landslides and rockslides triggered by the earthquake, killing several hikers.

Though access to the gorge remains closed, the MOI said the western parts of the park near Mt. Hehuan have reopened.

As for funding in the wake of the disaster, Lin said the central government allotted NT$300 million to the Hualien County government to meet immediate needs and is now assessing post-disaster shelter and housing reconstruction needs.

Some of the expenditures will be covered by the existing disaster response budget and by funds collected through donations, and the government will only consider setting up a special budget if there are insufficient funds after that, Lin said.

He was responding to lawmakers across party lines who asked whether a temporary regulation similar to the defunct Temporary Statute for 921 Earthquake Post-Disaster Reconstruction will be introduced.

Meanwhile, the Taiwan Foundation for Disaster Relief said in a statement that as of 7 a.m. Monday, donations exceeding NT$900 million have poured into local accounts for earthquake relief.

● Local, central governments set up earthquake aid accounts (April 4)

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