Council boss apologises over Westport flood funding 'miscommunication'
Fri, 4th Sep 2026 (Today)
Buller district councillor Paul Reynolds today [Thursday] welcomed confirmation funding for an outlying neighbourhood on the edge of Westport was never a question after the West Coast Regional Council admitted a "miscommunication''.
The WCRC is undertaking consultation with Westport residents about a new flood protection scheme which will cost $40 million and provide the town with a one-in-67-year flood protection, instead of the one-in-100-year protection offered by the current scheme.
At an extraordinary council meeting last month, WCRC Chief Executive Darryl Lew told councillors Carters Beach would be given the entire $1.8 million for flood protection. The funding was originally meant for both Snodgrass Road and Carters Beach.
Snodgrass resident and Buller District councillor Paul Reynolds last week called the regional council "inept" over its handling the new flood protection scheme, after the council announced a "reset".
He held a public meeting in Westport last night [Wednesday] to finalise a community petition to the Minister of Local Government Simon Watts to remove the council from handling the new flood scheme.
However, in a statement today Mr Lew issued an apology, offering reassurance the funding will be shared evenly between Carters Beach and Snodgrass Road.
"We got the communication wrong, and I apologise to all involved," he said in a statement.
"The businesses that made significant commitments to support flood protection for our community...should have heard directly from us before any proposal affecting those pledges were discussed publicly.
"We also realise we should have spoken with Snodgrass Road residents before sharing the details of the planned project reset," Mr Lew said.
In response, Mr Reynolds said the council did not have a choice but to split the funds evenly.
"It was a donation for that purpose. So, why do we need a press release?"
As long as there were not any "hidden terms" for the sharing of the funds by the council, he welcomed its backdown and apology, Mr Reynolds said.
"Great news, they are going to spend half the money on Snodgrass, as long as it is without some hidden tricks."
Mr Lew said the wording in the council's earlier communications around the special consultative procedure to reset the Westport scheme had "created the impression" the Snodgrass Road area would not be protected from flooding.
"This isn't the case and I apologise...the regional council is categorically committed to providing physical flood protection for Snodgrass Road and Carters Beach. This is all one scheme."
Meantime, the council was working through a sequence of future work which would see Snodgrass Road addressed in conjunction or after the wider Westport stopbanks.
"Our goal in using the pledged money now is to avoid borrowing and incurring interest payments which the people of Westport and Snodgrass Road would have to pay.
"This is primarily a decision based on the wise use of cash flow.
"Our plan is to replenish the fund closer to construction at Snodgrass Road."
Mr Lew said it would manage its cashflows so half of the money would be allocated to Carters Beach and the rest to Snodgrass.
Snodgrass would come "a little later" than the wider scheme.
"This is something that has always been communicated with the Snodgrass Road community - that the Snodgrass Road work would follow the main scheme and Carters Beach."
