Councillor 'absolutely disgusted' at lack of progress on Westport flood protection

Photo: Supplied / Defence Force

Westport people should be "absolutely disgusted" at the lack of physical progress on flood protection, says West Coast Regional councillor Frank Dooley.

Today is the third anniversary of Westport's disastrous 2021 floods. The town's 16km ring of floodwalls was approved soon after the disaster.

Dooley told the Westport News he never imagined the town would still be unprotected three years on.

"We have, some 13 or 14 months ago, received central government funding. But the time to actually progress the quick wins and other projects has just been unbelievably slow. It doesn't help anyone."

West Coast Regional Council (WCRC) had to jump through many hoops before physical work could start, Dooley said.

"You've got design, then you've got bloody landowner consents and peer reviews of the designs and God knows what else. And it's a bureaucratic process which frustrates the shit out of most people."

The previous government announced the $22.9 million Resilient Westport co-funding package in May last year. But it also demanded the WCRC spend $300,000 reviewing its original designs because a peer review commissioned by the Department of Internal Affairs claimed they were flawed.

The review of the designs and peer review, undertaken by Te Uru Kahika, the regional council arm of Local Government New Zealand, found no flaws and that the government had no grounds to withhold the funding.

Dooley said there had been some progress - emergency work at Organs Island and behind the O'Conor Home was complete.

"But it doesn't assist our community to a large extent."

The Organs Island wall reduces the volume of floodwater entering the Orowaiti from the Buller River and should protect areas like Domett Street, Eastons Road and Kawatiri Place. Further work at Cats Creek would also reduce flooding in those areas.

But the WCRC took over a year to tackle the urgent protection work. The council approved $2.6 million funding in May 2022 for both the Organs Island floodwall and a new floodwall behind O'Conor Home. However, the council took three months to tender and award the Organs Island contract and another three months to tender and award the O'Conor Home contract, which also went to Avery.

The Cats Creek work is currently in limbo while the council negotiates with KiwiRail.

Dooley said the WCRC was responsible for much of the delay getting flood protection underway.

"There's been dysfunction within the regional council which took a long time to resolve. But now we have a team on board... They are working to the best of their ability to get things done but it's not easy."

Negotiating with landowners was challenging, Dooley said.

"You're seeking permission to come across their farm with a massive big wall. You know, you are creating an imposition."

Buller Mayor Jamie Cleine told The Westport News last week some of the walls would be 30 metres wide at the base. He said they would run for about 2km through one farm.

Dooley said the WCRC was relying on the goodwill of private landowners for the benefit of the rest of the community. Staff were "proactively meeting with the landowners", Dooley said.

"We're doing the groundwork, we're doing the designs. But, when can we build?"