West Coast Regional Council and Buller District Council are reassuring home and landowners in the Westport area that conversations with insurers will continue as changes are signalled.

This follows a letter sent to Buller Mayor Chris Russell last week indicating that AA Insurance will temporarily stop offering new business, home and landlord insurance policies for properties in the 7825 postcode due to flood-risk exposure.

The final ten metres of the Cats Creek bund in Westport will now be completed after agreement was reached with KiwiRail.

The work will get underway once a contractor is finalised.

Changes to how the Resilient Westport Adaptation Relief Fund will be administered will be discussed at next week’s West Coast Regional Council (WCRC) meeting.

The fund of $2m was provided for by central government in the Resilient Westport package of work. The aim is to assist homeowners still exposed to risk after the implementation of flood mitigation measures.

Spaces still remain for businesses in and around Westport to attend free workshops on how to bounce back better from major floods and other emergencies.

The free workshops are being offered as part of the Resilient Westport Business Resilience & Continuity Campaign targeting local business owners, managers, and entrepreneurs.

The enhanced Westport Flood: Evacuation Response Plan was endorsed by the West Coast Emergency Management (WCEM) Joint Committee at its quarterly meeting today.

Emergency Management self-evacuation survey results released

The survey answers will help Emergency Management test the estimates in the Enhanced Evacuation Plan.

Residents of greater Westport are being reminded our quick survey on self-evacuation is closing soon.

The survey, run by West Coast Emergency Management along with Resilient Westport, closes at the end of this week (Friday 7 November 4.30pm).

West Coast Emergency Management and Resilient Westport have teamed up to deliver two new initiatives to support the community of Westport and surrounds in the face of flooding and other emergencies. We are running a survey to help us gauge the readiness of the community to self-evacuate in a major flood or other emergency. We are also offering business continuity support for local business owners and managers in the event of an emergency.

The wider Westport community is being encouraged to participate in a survey to help gauge their readiness to self-evacuate in a major flood or other emergency.

The Westport Business Resilience & Continuity Campaign launches Wednesday 29^th October, 6:30-8:00pm at EPIC (10a Lyndhurst Street) with a free networking event targeting local business owners, managers, and entrepreneurs.

West Coast Regional Council is stockpiling some large rocks on part of the O’Conor Home land ahead of planned future works on the Upper Buller Stopbank.

There are about 2,000 tonnes of rocks there – out of an eventual tally of around 20,000 tonnes. They are intended for use, down the line, to reinforce the banks of the Buller River by the Home with a rock revetment wall.

Residents from Westport’s Carters Beach and immediate surrounds attended a meeting last night to hear plans for a stopbank in their area.

“Big thinking from a small town” was recognised with a top award at last night’s SuperLocal: Local Government NZ conference in Christchurch.

Buller District Council’s Master Planning work with the Resilient Westport team took out the SuperIdea - Tū Auaha Award.

Resource consent application lodged for Avery’s stopbank

Resource consent for the Avery’s stopbank has been lodged after a complex planning process.

The work is being carried out by West Coast Regional Council (WCRC) as part of the Resilient Westport package of works. It is part of the wider flood mitigation works underway to help protect Westport from severe flooding events.

Avery’s forms part of the Lower Orowaiti area of flood protection.

Westport businesses pledge support for flood protection work

The generosity of a group of Buller businesses, inspired by late West Coast Regional Councillor Frank Dooley, was acknowledged in Westport today.

The businesses have jointly pledged over $2m towards flood mitigation works for Snodgrass Road in Westport and the nearby Carters Beach community.

Buller Electricity Ltd, Bathurst Resources, Mitre 10 Westport, Hilton Haulage and the O'Conor Home have all pledged funds.

Work on McKenna stopbank wraps up

The McKenna stopbank near Westport has just been completed and West Coast Regional Council (WCRC) Chief Engineer Peter Blackwood says it is already providing some protection to the town.

Buller District Council has decided to endorse Westport’s Master Plan at its 26 March 2025 meeting.

The decision means that the work can continue on implementing elements of the Master Plan..