Controversial Franz Josef stopbank builders warned 'the law is law'

A controversial Franz Josef stopbank may be an "extraordinary piece of engineering", but the process used to construct it has been labelled "unacceptable".

An Auditor-General's report into procurement of work by Westland District Council drew mixed reactions from MPs at Parliament's governance and administration select committee on Wednesday.

The report found in July 2017 mayor Bruce Smith and councillor Durham Havill decided to build the stopbank to deal with a flood risk, without the backing of the full council, and without consulting experts or conducting a proper procurement process. Read more

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