West Coast council defends its flood plan after critics say it doesn't go far enough

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from The Press

The West Coast Regional Council has defended its plans for flood protection in Westport, with its chairman saying it's time for action “not hand-wringing”.

It has presented two options for the town, which 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.

The Buller District Council criticised the two options for floodwalls and stopbanks along the Buller and Orowaiti rivers, saying the regional council did not take climate change or liquefaction into account and one of the options was no better than doing nothing.

Regional council chairman Allan Birchfield and acting chief executive Heather Mabin said the working group made the deliberate decision to design the floodwalls and stopbanks to the current climate scenario rather than a future scenario because affordability for ratepayers was key.

“This is time for action, not hand-wringing and engaging more and more experts," Birchfield said.

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