Changes to administration of the Resilient Westport Adaptation Relief Fund

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.

Until now, Buller District Council has been responsible for administering the initiative, whilst the funds were still held by Department of Internal Affairs (DIA).

Work to finalise the criteria for the Adaptation Relief Fund has been ongoing, as the final parameters and alignment of the Westport flood mitigation scheme are worked out.

The Council paper, to be discussed at the WCRC meeting on 2 December 2025, advises of the decision by the Resilient Westport Steering Group and Department of Internal Affairs to reallocate the Adaptation Fund from Buller District Council to West Coast Regional Council to administer.

Regional councillors will be asked to note the change, which involves variations to the original funding agreements. This applies to both councils. Buller District Council is expected to discuss the change at its Council meeting later in December.

WCRC Chief Executive Darryl Lew says, this means Regional Council will work with those who are directly affected, once the Adaptation Fund criteria are confirmed.

“Mitigation measures for these properties would be carried out by WCRC as part of the structural protection scheme. The affected landowners would be consulted with as part of the resource consent consultation process for affected parties. Our engineers would first come up with a plan for how each property could best be protected, if flood mitigation is possible.

“There are around 10 properties that potentially remain exposed to risk and may require mitigation measures. This number is subject to final design of the flood protection scheme. Once the flood mitigation work is completed at these properties, ownership of any mitigation structures would pass to the landowner. Individual property agreements would outline maintenance requirements for ongoing property protection.

“What we mean by ‘mitigations’ could be structures such as planter box stopbanks for example, and/or other structures that the landowner agrees to. The work would be carried out by WCRC, instead of landowners doing any of the work themselves,” says Mr Lew.

-ENDS-

For further information please contact:
Resilient Westport Communications team
media@resilientwestport.co.nz