Could Westport move to escape rising sea level?

‘‘If you take the view that in 100 years Westport is more likely to be located to the south side of the Buller River then our water supply . . . would not meet that need.’’ Cr Phil Rutherford

A West Coast councillor says rising sea levels should be considered when building long-term infrastructure in low-lying coastal towns.

The Buller District Council has been debating the collapse of a century-old water supply tunnel in Westport, a town of 6000, at the council table for some time.

At its June 28 meeting, councillors rejected plans to pipe the tunnel.

A report from Opus consultants said piping costs escalated from $1.9 million to $4.97m between its March 2016 and June feasibility reports. See more