Could Westport move to escape rising sea level?
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‘‘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