Media Release - Work to start on Floating Lagoon vegetation clearance
Media Release
2 September 2024
Work to start on Floating Lagoon vegetation clearance
A contractor has been appointed to begin clearing vegetation around the existing stopbank located near Westport’s ‘Floating Lagoon’.
The work forms part of the Resilient Westport flood protection work and is being carried out by West Coast Regional Council. The land is owned by Buller District Council.
The height of the existing stopbank, backing onto a number of Coates Street properties, will be raised to provide further flood protection.
Avery Bros. Ltd were appointed following a competitive tender process, to do the remediation work and clear vegetation in the area to provide access to the stopbank.
Work is expected to start this week and take two to three months.
West Coast Regional Council Chair Peter Haddock says the work may impact on walking tracks in the area, but Avery Brothers will work to keep them open as much as possible.
“Excavators will be used and there will be some truck movements so some parts of the track will need to be closed off at different times for safety reasons. Our contractors will signal that along the way, but their focus is on providing continuous access where possible.
“We are pleased to see this piece of work getting started following on from the start of work on the Cats Creek stopbank. These are all positive steps on the bigger journey of delivering these flood mitigation structures for the Westport community.”
Group Manager Corporate Services Buller District Council Paul Numan says both councils are engaging with the local pony club about any possible impacts of the work on grazing.
“We have been able to reassure them that grazing on the Buller District Council land will be unaffected by this piece of work. Although it is possible that the final design of the stopbank might encroach upon this land. We will continue to work with the Pony Club and keep them informed as the programme of work continues.”
Consent will be lodged later in the year for the new Floating Lagoon stopbank which is due to begin construction early next year.
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For further information please contact:
Resilient Westport Communications team
027 201 5810
For more information on Resilient Westport’s flood protection work, go to: https://www.resilientwestport.co.nz/flood-protection
The project team will be taking special efforts to look after ‘George the rock’ after a request by the Westport Pony Club. A new home will be found for him near his current location once the stopbank remediation is complete. The Pony Club says George is there to cheer people up after Christmas decorations, which a member of the community had placed on Coates Street, (near George) in previous years, had been vandalised by a “grinch”.