September 17th, 2024
The government has pledged funding of $22.9 million to bolster flood protection in Westport, an area highly vulnerable to flooding due to its geographical location. The announcement was made by Prime Minister Chris Hipkins today.
"Westport’s low-lying location between the Buller River, the Orowaiti Estuary and the coast makes it highly vulnerable to flooding," stated Prime Minister Hipkins. "Buller was dealt a rough blow with two serious flooding events in the last two years. In the July 2021 event almost a quarter of all homes in Westport needed repair and more than 2000 people were forced to evacuate."
The funds will be allocated towards protecting the Westport urban area through structural flood protection measures, bolstering planning provisions to avoid future flood risk, and enhancing resilience-building activities in vulnerable properties or neighbourhoods. The plan also includes an increase in civil defence and emergency management capability.
The government's approach is two-pronged, focusing on immediate and long-term measures. "This funding has both an immediate and longer-term focus. It will help with design and delivery of flood protection, such as stopbanks, and support people to protect their homes with property and community level resilience measures," the Prime Minister added.
The longer-term initiative includes facilitating development and growth in lower-risk areas, effectively relocating growth away from high-risk flood areas. The government is funding a structure plan for development on higher ground in Alma Road, Westport.
“This builds on recent government investment in this area. Westport received $17 million in 2021 for a temporary accommodation village, along with a further $13.6 million from the government’s Infrastructure Acceleration Fund in 2022 for transport and water infrastructure in Alma Road,” said Hipkins.
Local Government Minister Kieran McAnulty praised the community's resilience in the face of the recent flooding events. "The community has really stepped up and supported each other through the recent flooding events, supported by a $100 million recovery package from the government," McAnulty said.
He stressed the importance of long-term central government partnership and support to help the community become more resilient. The government will work closely with the West Coast Regional Council, the Buller District Council, and Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Waewae to initiate these new projects as soon as possible.