Gabrielle Govt spending reorder: West Coast schemes still ‘on track’

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from The Press

From Brendon McMahon, local democracy reporter:

West Coast leaders say planned flood protection schemes at Westport and Franz Josef will not lose out, despite the Government reprioritising spending in the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle in the North Island.

West Coast-Tasman MP Damien O'Connor said the two projects were "still on track" for the Government to come to the party.

The scale of the North Island event did not lessen the need for proposed $56 million co-funded Westport scheme or the $24 million Waiho (Waiau) River scheme, he said.

However, the Government was being careful to ensure the best value for money.

"We have just got to make sure [the West Coast schemes] are long-term solutions. Nothing can be guaranteed in today's world or bigger events," O'Connor said.

"We've got to have reasonably good idea that the spend is a good spend.

"When mud is to the roof of houses and infrastructure is totally destroyed is pretty confronting, nonetheless flooding on the Waiho has had impact."

Cyclone Gabrielle had simply reinforced the need for better community resilience and local authorities needed to take their role in that seriously, he said.

West Coast Regional Council acting chairperson Peter Haddock acknowledged the Government would have to reprioritise after the cyclone.

"I would hope they would reprioritise other spending towards resilience. I believe it reinforces our case - we need to spend to protect," he said.

"On the other side, if you want to look at moving Westport (township), the cost is phenomenal."

The Westport business case would be cheaper than moving the town or another flood in the short term.

Haddock said it looked like the greatest damage in the cyclone had been where protection banks were not been fit for purpose.

"It just reinforces the fact that we need to continue to have these protection schemes," he said.

"I would hope that the Government will prioritise the protection of land behind vulnerable areas.

"I know they're going to be short of money ... however the cost is only going to rise."

Buller mayor Jamie Cliene argued Cyclone Gabrielle would only reinforce Westport's case, which was mooted by the Government as the pilot for co-funded solutions elsewhere.

While an intergenerational approach to ensure the viability of large town like Westport was needed, the cost of "another flood tomorrow" had to be weighed including the risk of insurance companies walking away, he said.

"In my view I don't think it harms our case. If anything it legitimises the need for this community, and [those] in the North Island, to have to step through the process that Buller has done."

The Government might also now take a harder line on the Westport case now and say "it doesn't go far enough".

"I wouldn't think the Government would walk away from communities," Cleine said.

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