Horizons regional councillors have been swayed by feedback from ratepayers and voted to omit stage-two flood protection for Wanganui from their draft 10-year plan.
In doing so they have disregarded the majority recommendation of the Lower Whanganui River Scheme Working Party, which wanted stage two included in the plan.
When the answers from 14,500 feedback forms were collated, 61 per cent of Wanganui ratepayers didn't want the $4.6 million stage-two flood protection at Putiki and Anzac Parade to go ahead. Many of them cited cost as the reason.
On a question of how the work should be paid for, 73 per cent of those who answered wanted the burden to fall more heavily on the owners of floodable properties.
The question of whether to include stage two in the plan was discussed at Horizons' meeting on Thursday. Of the 12 councillors present, eight voted against including it - including Wanganui's two councillors Greg Cox and Bob Walker. Three voted for including it and one abstained.