Media Release: Joint Resource Consent Application to be lodged for Carters Beach and Upper Buller stopbanks
A combined Resource Consent Application is being lodged today for the Carters Beach and Upper Buller stopbanks near Westport.
The stopbanks form part of the Resilient Westport, Flood Protection Scheme, being delivered by West Coast Regional Council (WCRC).
The resource consent application to the WCRC and Buller District Council (BDC) is for the construction of the Upper Buller and Carters Beach stopbanks, the possible removal of a redundant State Highway 67A road alignment, and the construction of a bund around the Westport Domain.
It also includes provisions for specific protection for a property near the Upper Buller stopbank.
West Coast Regional Council Chief Engineer Peter Blackwood says the consent applications have been combined due to the interconnectedness of the two planned stopbanks.
“When we complete the stopbank at Upper Buller (up-river from the Buller Bridge) which is part of the ring protection to help protect the Westport township from severe flooding, this unfortunately increases the flooding risk for Carters Beach, on the opposite bank downstream. The work will also mitigate the current flood risk for Carters Beach from major floods. We recognised the consenting authorities need to be provided the big picture so they could consider all the moving parts of the planned work.
“This 118-page application has taken a tremendous amount of work; planning, geotech and environmental investigations, scientific modelling, and stakeholder engagement.
“In terms of affected parties, we are writing to landowners/occupiers where the proposed flood walls are planned to cross their property or near to it, to let them know we will be in touch with them further to discuss the proposed work. This is essentially to let them know that the consent is being lodged and that further engagement will follow. We will also be consulting with three landowners/occupiers outside the stopbanks where flood levels will marginally rise and are looking at options for those that flooded in 2021.
“In terms of timings, we appreciate a consent this large will take some time to process, by the two consenting authorities involved. We will stay in touch with them and provide any supplementary information required. Once consent is granted, we will carry out a tendering process for the work,” says Mr Blackwood.
“This is an important milestone,“ says Buller Constituency representative Mark McIntyre, “marking the project's progression into the next phase following the completion of extensive investigation and design work.”
The Carters Beach stopbank will be 2.4 kilometres long and will take about six months to build. The Upper Buller stopbank will be around 2.8 kilometres long and take a similar amount of time to construct.
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For further information please contact:
Resilient Westport Communications team