More than 400 homes not fixed
Fewer than one fifth of the flooded homes in Westport have been fully repaired a year on.
Westport residents are marking the anniversary of the devastating July 2021 floods with a meeting in the town centre.
Heavy rainfall caused significant flooding within Westport and across the Buller District from both the Buller River and the Orowaiti estuary, from July 15 to 18 last year, forcing the evacuation of more than 2000 people from 826 properties.
Of the 563 houses either red or yellow-stickered, just over 100 have registered their completed repairs with council so far.
Out of 983 dwellings in Westport town, 23% of the housing stock required repair to make them habitable.
Members of the Buller Flood Action group are running for council positions in the coming elections, and the group is holding an anniversary meeting at noon on Monday.
The group said it would be a platform for people to speak about their experiences of the floods, what has affected them during the past 12 months and how they feel about the general progress.
The Buller District and West Coast Regional councils have presented a $54 million business case to Government, which includes flood walls, subsidies for people having to move from flood-prone areas and an upgrade of the town’s stormwater system.
Buller District Council chief executive Sharon Mason said the community still faced many challenges a year on from the floods.
‘‘Weather events continue to hit the region, such as the high winds and damage this week and of course the February 2022 floods that caused district wide damage,’’ Mason said.
‘‘There is still stress and anxiety across the community. It is natural and understandable post a natural hazard event, as evidenced following the Christchurch earthquakes.’’
The Buller Flood Recovery team, working with non-government organisations, had a community hub where navigators had helped more than 2000 people.
She said it might be months before the Government made a decision on the business case, and that the $54m business case, which asked for Government funding of $43.3m, was ‘‘a multi-tool approach’’.
Council had received $8m in financial support from Government to support initial flood recovery efforts, such as setting up the recovery team, cleaning up and infrastructure for a temporary village.
The Government’s Temporary Accommodations Service helped 267 households find somewhere to stay, including motels, caravans and cabins on their own properties. Only 41 households are still being housed by the service.
‘‘As we reach the first anniversary . . . Buller Council remains committed to supporting our community and supporting the NGOs who will be providing the ongoing recovery support. There will always be challenges, but our strength lies in facing them together as a united community,’’ Mason said.
Westport woman Pauline Williamson was expecting to finally move back into her home within a few days.
‘‘It’s taken a really long time but it’s finally finished and signed off so we are just waiting on our furniture and the go-ahead to move back in,’’ she said.
After the July flood, she lived in a cabin on her property, but it got flooded in the February flood. She was then moved to a temporary house provided by the Government.
Snodgrass Rd resident Ruth Vaega said it was hard to feel hopeful about the future when the business case did not include flood protection for the area. She said she hoped the Government would help offer some solutions or compensation for Snodgrass Rd residents because it was essentially being sacrificed as a flood plain to help protect the rest of Westport.
She raised her house up by a metre after it was flooded with a sea surge during Cyclone Fehi in 2018. However, her artist studio, garage, sleepout and sheds were flooded in the July event.
‘‘We have been evacuated three times in four years. It’s just awful and stressful. People are worried every time it rains. We love the house, we love the area but it looks like we are a bit doomed here ... What’s the point in living here any more?’’