Westport suffered severe flooding in July last year. Photo / George Heard
Westport suffered severe flooding in July last year. Photo / George Heard
A new report to the West Coast Regional Council says repairs to historic Westport flood protection at two sites is crucial, with the entire town at "a heightened risk" of being flooded by the Buller River again.
Repairs to rockwork damaged by last July's floods would cost over $2.6 million, a report for an extraordinary meeting of the West Coast Regional Council (WCRC) says.
Councillors are being asked to consider using much of its $1m catastrophe fund, and cover the remaining cost of repairs by increasing debt.
The council will convene at an extraordinary meeting on Tuesday night, to consider its options.
The background report notes the council faces a difficult choice with no surety central Government will make any contribution for the wider $10.2m Westport flood protection scheme.
"Certainty will only be secured when and if, this cost is approved by Government as part of the business case currently being prepared for their consideration."
Aerial view, showing proximity of O'Conor Home to the Buller River, bottom, and erosion of willows and native vegetation from the riverbank. Photo / Supplied
That business case is due in the next month.
In the meantime, the two areas of emergency maintenance work should proceed "under urgency", to repair 260m length of bank erosion on the lower Buller River just upstream of O'Conor Home, on the southeastern side of Westport.
The home has been evacuated twice in the past year, including during the July and the February floods.
The council also wants to work on an historic rock training wall further upstream of O'Conor Home, adjacent to Organs Island on the lower Buller River. The rock training has historically been part of an overflow system from the Buller to the Orowaiti River in the event of flooding.
On March 8, the council agreed with the Westport Joint Rating Committee's recommendation for "urgent funding" to do the repairs.
However, it decided to await further ground checks at the two scoured sites and to seek tenders after being cautioned about forging ahead without any funding guarantee.
Maintenance work on bank erosion near O'Conor Home is now an estimated $923,351.
Separately the Organs Island work will cost an estimated $1,701,762.
An image showing the historic (relict) river channel behind O'Conor home, with the current channel to the left and location of O'Conor Home middle. Photo / Supplied
The council is being asked to consider "liquidating" the catastrophe fund portion of its investment portfolio, currently $982,184 to cover the repair costs.
To cover the rest of the cost it is being recommended council roll over and increase its debt mechanism, due on May 26, from just over $2m to $3.75m for a period of six months.
The retrospective maintenance is adjunct to but "separate from" the proposed $10.2m Westport circular flood management embankment.
The report notes "every dollar" of the budgeted $10.2m "fall back" scheme will be required if co-investment funding from the Government cannot be secured - and costs are increasing.
