Council rejects new protection options for West Coast town devastated by winter floods

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from The Press

An expert report has criticised a multimillion-dollar West Coast Regional Council plan for Westport flood protection as being no better than doing nothing.

The regional council’s proposals, which are out for public consultation as part of its long-term plan, include a $3.4 million option that would include the building of a flood wall along the Buller River at Westport and partial stop banks around the town.

The options were in the planning stages when the town was inundated with floods on July 17 and 18 that forced more than 2000 of its 4500-odd residents to evacuate and left more than 460 homes damaged.

In its submission the Buller District Council says it has “major concerns” about the proposal because it does not take into climate change into account or the river flows in a one-in-100 year event. Read more here.