News

A by-election will be held for Buller District Council’s Westport Ward to fill the seat left by the recent resignation of former councillor Colin Reidy.  

Work on building the Avery’s stopbank in Westport is likely to start in January 2027.

Buller District Council (BDC) has awarded WestReef Services Ltd contracts to set up sewer, stormwater, streetlights, footpaths and drinking water services for the proposed new Alma Road housing developments.

The community engagement phase of the West Coast Local Government Reform Head Start Project has now concluded. The final community drop-in session was held in Franz Josef on Friday and online feedback closed on Monday 6 July.

With community feedback drawing to a close on Monday, more than 100 pieces of feedback have now been received from across the West Coast.

Buller District Council yesterday adopted a 5.8% overall increase in total rates, deferred senior housing rent rises and proceeding with Westport’s stormwater integration project next year as they finalised the Annual Plan 2026/27. 

Councillor Colin Reidy has resigned as an elected member of the Westport Ward, effective immediately.

Charges to dispose of waste in Buller are to increase tomorrow after a 41% increase in transportation costs and 17% in onwards refuse disposal.

Buller District Council (BDC) has completed installation and commissioning of a new, fit-for-purpose wastewater system at the Mokihinui Campground, with the replacement system capable of supporting a peak load of 400 users per day.

The three directors for the new joint West Coast council-controlled organisation for Local Water Done Well - Coast Waters Ltd have been selected from 50 applicants.

Flood protection works adjacent to the O’Conor Home are being built to a higher design standard than the rest of the Westport Flood Protection Scheme in recognition of the risk posed to residents if evacuation was necessary.

Rock protection will soon be installed to stabilise and reinforce the riverbank adjacent to the Little Wanganui wastewater oxidation ponds, following inspections conducted earlier this year.

Buller District Council (BDC) is seconding its harbourmaster to the role of regional harbourmaster in July following the Ministry of Transport’s allocation of a $1m Regional Maritime Safety Grant to West Coast Regional Council (WCRC) last year.

West Coast communities are continuing to engage strongly in the Head Start local government reform process, with over 69 people already taking the opportunity to share their views.

Buller District Council has completed its investigation into a non-compliant drinking water sample detected in the Reefton supply on 5 March 2026, confirming there is no evidence of a wider issue with the town’s water system.