Media Release: Regional councillors to consider next steps for Westport Flood Protection Scheme
Media Release
Resilient Westport
24 August 2026
Regional councillors to consider next steps for Westport Flood Protection Scheme
West Coast Regional councillors will tomorrow review an update on the Westport Flood Protection Scheme (WFPS) reset, at an Extraordinary Council meeting.
The Scheme is being delivered by the West Coast Regional Council and is part funded by the government via Resilient Westport, alongside ratepayers.
At a public excluded briefing last week, councillors were told the development of the scheme is at the point where changes are required to deliver it in a more affordable way, that still delivers the required level of protection to Westport and surrounds. This means considering:
The impact on rates arising from the increased cost of the scheme
Changes to the level of flood protection to be delivered for Westport
Funding flood protection for Carters Beach.
These proposed changes represent a significant variation from what is included in the West Coast Regional Council’s current Long-Term Plan (2024-2034) and what was consulted on with the community in 2021. Therefore, additional consultation is required using a Special Consultative Procedure.
A similar briefing was given to the members of the Westport Rating District Joint Committee, who were given until Friday morning to offer feedback to the Project team.
Regional Councillors will tomorrow be asked to approve Council undertaking the Special Consultative Procedure along with elements of the scheme reset – the level of service (flood protection) and the funding approach.
The Special Consultative Procedure, if approved, will ask the community to consider two options for consultation. Another option was considered but deemed too costly.
Option One is the main Westport Flood Protection Scheme (the Core Protection Scheme) built to a 1.5% AEP (Annual Exceedance Probability) protection level, based on the current climate, with 400mm of freeboard (extra contingency height). Plus, the revised alignment of the Carters Beach stopbank built to a 1.5% AEP, and 300mm of freeboard. This level of protection would protect Westport from a comparable flood to the July 2021 event but does not allow for future climate change.
Option Two is an Optimised Hybrid Scheme that builds on Option One for Westport and Carters Beach. It is designed for current climate conditions, with allowance to raise the height of the floodbanks in the future. The additional cost is estimated at about $1 million. The difference is that at select constrained locations, short sections of stopbank would be constructed with a wider footprint that can be cost-effectively built on in the future. For now, they would be built to the same height as Option One and offer the same level of flood protection.
The options represent a funding shortfall of between $22.5 million and $23.6 million. This would need to be rated over the coming decades along with the original $10.2 million the community was consulted with in 2021.
Last week, councillors were briefed on the overall situation in a public excluded workshop where no decisions were made. They were given details of why there is a funding shortfall, what is being done to seek external funding and therefore reduce the burden on ratepayers, what impact this will have on rates and how the proposed changes differ in terms of flood protection from what was previously expected.
They will now be asked to approve the commencement of a Special Consultative Procedure on the proposed changes and provide a mandate to continue work on the scheme until consultation is completed. The final result will be tabled at the December full council meeting.
West Coast Regional Council Chief Executive Darryl Lew says councillors were briefed in advance so that they had a chance to familiarise themselves with the situation and supporting information around the update.
“I am certain they are very aware of the importance of what they are being asked to consider - both for the community of Westport and the wider West Coast.”
If approved, the Special Consultative Procedure will take place between 7 September and 7 October 2026. Submissions will be accepted via written forms, which will be made available closer to the time, and online via the West Coast Regional Council website. Information on the project reset will also be available on the Resilient Westport website (www.resilientwestport.co.nz/ special-consultative-procedure).
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For further information please contact:
Resilient Westport Communications team