Greymouth Residents Warned Over Flood Risk: ‘We Don’t Want Them To Be Shocked’

Tuesday, 18 June 2024, 7:02 pm
Article: Brendon McMahon - Local Democracy Reporter

Greymouth's Mayor is warning property owners to check new coastal hazard mapping for the area as their land titles may now be flagged as at greater flood risk from the sea.

Much of the coastline for the West Coast was resurveyed by NIWA on behalf of the West Coast Regional Council for the proposed combined districts Te Tai o Poutini Plan (TTPP) in early 2023.

But revised natural hazard modelling based on the new surveys for the greater Greymouth area in the TTPP have been withheld until now.

Greymouth Mayor Tania Gibson has repeatedly called since late 2023 for the new information to be released to give property owners certainty.

She released the information yesterday [June 17].

Mrs Gibson said it was vital property owners now grasped what the new information meant for them individually.

"I think a lot of people are not aware of it, and it affects their properties. We just want people to look at their properties," she told LDR.

"It's going to go on their LIMS (Land Information Memorandums) and its going to be a hazard zone across them."

Mrs Gibson said council was also prepared to address various communities on the implications, including Rapahoe where the significant hazard risk to residential properties below State highway 6 has previously been identified.

"It can be pretty complex. We don't want them to be shocked: we want them to be informed," she said.

The new hydrodynamic modelling proved the coastal hazard risk for some parts of Greymouth was now "less severe" than the earlier modelling indicated, the mayor said.

"This doesn't detract from the need for each owner of property in the coastal zone to find out whether their properties will be impacted and, if so, to what extent."

Mrs Gibson suggested property owners now call the West Coast Regional Council, which is shepherding the TTPP until its adoption, for further information about the scientific basis of the new information.

"This is not a minor matter and I urge property owners in the coastal zone to determine the status of their properties per the mapping outcomes.

"West Coast Regional Council is the lead agent for the coastal hazard mapping and the TTPP and I strongly suggest that owners commence their enquiries with that council."

This morning chief executive for the regional council, Darryl Lew was initially unaware of what the district council had released.

He later said what Mrs Gibson said about the new coastal hazard information accurately captured the legal obligations for the district council.

On that basis, Mr Lew said regional council staff would be comfortable fielding calls from Grey District ratepayers wanting to understand the revised maps and the underlying science.

However queries by ratepayers on the impact on their Land Information Memorandums (LIMS) or consequent resource consent matters should go directly to the district council, Mr Lew said.

NIWA's new coastal survey was to gain more accurate hazard maps than initially posted in the draft TTPP when it was released in July 2022.

Mrs Gibson's calls since late last year, to release the new information, was around uncertainty for planned new development including in the Greymouth CBD which is bordered by the Greymouth Floodwall.

Mrs Gibson told LDR it was good to see the Greymouth floodwall system now accounted for in the new maps as a mitigating factor against the inundation risk [from the sea].

The latest hazard maps were "scientifically robust and legally credible" but did trigger unavoidable legal obligations for Grey, she said.

It meant council was now obliged to register the "inundation potential" on to the titles of individual properties' LIMs, Mrs Gibson said.

It also meant more stringent compliance requirements under the Building Act for affected properties.
"Council staff are in the process of working though this … further information will be offered as soon as available."

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