Government rejects Westport's plea for flood protection funding

By Lee Scanlon of the Westport News

An aerial view of the eastern end of Westport during the July 2021 flood. Photo: Supplied / Defence Force

The government has rejected an urgent request from Buller's mayor for help to flood-protect Westport.

The town's stormwater system needs a $12 million upgrade to stop Westport becoming a bathtub once new flood walls are built.

Mayor Jamie Cleine wrote to new Local Government Minister Simeon Brown in December seeking help. The mayor noted the previous government had provided $22.9m for Westport flood resilience. However, he said another $12m for stormwater had been expected from the Three Waters entity - which the National-led government has scrapped.

Cleine told Brown the community could not afford to cover the cost. He said the stormwater upgrade was critical for the ring-bank flood protection scheme to work effectively and safely.

"This is an urgent matter for your attention."

Brown responded this week, saying it was not the government's problem.

"Local government has primary responsibility for flood risk management and for water services infrastructure. I want to enable councils and communities to determine what works best for them."

He expected the Buller District Council would work with the West Coast Regional Council to address Westport's stormwater issues "within the overall project and funding envelope".

It was up to the councils to find the funds to provide appropriate levels of flood protection with an integrated stormwater system, Brown said.

Cleine today described the response as "pretty disappointing".

Jamie Cleine. Photo: RNZ / Nate Mckinnon

"I've shared his response letter with the regional council. Because obviously if there isn't a way to fund it, presumably it will impact on what design options they have [for the floodwalls]… The options are we have to ratepayer fund it, which seems unlikely given where we are with rates."

Buller is facing one of the highest rate rises in New Zealand, of about 20 percent.

Cleine said another option could be seeking help from the government's Regional Development Fund, but he understood it expressly excluded Three Waters infrastructure.

But perhaps Westport's stormwater upgrade could qualify as part of a flood protection scheme, he said.

"Up until now it's been made very clear to me by the engineering team at the regional council you can't have one without the other."

Cleine said the stormwater upgrade funding was not an immediate issue, because the regional council was working on "quick win" Westport flood protection.

But floodwall designs would have to incorporate things like stormwater pump stations.

"So [lack of funding] is a real problem."

This article was originally published by the Westport News.