Buller’s NEMA-funded critical infrastructure repairs complete
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister, Hon Mark Mitchell, and senior National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) officials will visit Westport on Friday 9 May to officially reopen the Holcim No. 2 and Kawatiri wharves.
The $6.2 m repair of the two Westport Harbour wharves was the final project to be completed as part of the $17.1 m critical infrastructure repair programme that was put in place after the July 2021 and February 2022 Buller flood events. The wharf repairs were completed by HEB Construction, ahead of schedule and within budget.
“Reopening the wharves is a milestone in the recovery from the Buller River floods of 2021 and 2022. It’s also another step towards increasing the district’s resilience to severe weather events” says Buller District Council Chief Executive Officer Simon Pickford.
The overall $17.1 m programme also included dredging of Westport Harbour’s shipping channel and repairs to the east tiphead, in addition to the wharf repairs.
Still in Westport, betterment repairs were made to three waters infrastructure and improvements to stormwater flood defences completed.
Reefton’s historic landfill and the associated stop bank were also remediated. All these additional components were completed in mid-2024.
Buller District Mayor Jamie Cleine says: “The programme’s completion signifies the accomplishment of several major milestones protecting Westport and the wider Buller region, strengthening our future flood preparedness and safeguarding our infrastructure. We are extremely grateful for the NEMA funding which made these improvements a reality for the district.”
After reopening the wharves, Mr Mitchell will then meet with Buller District Council and West Coast Regional Council’s Emergency Management teams to discuss the options being put forward in the Government’s new Emergency Management Bill.
The new Bill has been put together following the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island severe weather events of 2023, and the coalition Government intends to pass this during its current term of Parliament.
It is intended that the Bill will replace the Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002 and is seen as an opportunity to make sure New Zealand’s legislative settings enable the improvements identified through the Government Inquiry and other reviews.
These legislative reforms aim to ensure there is a whole-of-society approach to emergency management, with key objectives including the strengthening of community and iwi Māori participation in emergency management; providing clear responsibilities and accountabilities at the national, regional, and local levels of participation; enabling a higher minimum standard of emergency management; minimising disruption to essential services, and ensuring agencies have the right powers available when an emergency takes place.
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For further information please contact:
Community Engagement Team
Buller District Council
Media.Enquiries@bdc.govt.nz
Disclaimer
The information in this media release was correct at time of publication. Changes in circumstances after the time of publication may impact on the accuracy of the information.