Fate Of Franz Josef Southbank Not Ours To Decide, Regional Council Says

Thursday, 5 June 2025, 6:40 pm
Article: Lois Williams - Local Democracy Reporter

The long-term fate of Franz Josef farms, homes and businesses on the south bank of the Waiho (Waiau) River lies with the Westland District Council.

That was the message to regional councillors this week as they prepare to celebrate the completion of the north bank floodwalls protecting the West Coast tourist town of Franz Josef.

Regional Development Minister Shane Jones will officially open the multi-million dollar project, funded 60 percent by the government, on Friday morning.

The West Coast Regional Council is about to embark on Stage 2 of the project, building stopbanks on the south side of the wild, glacier-fed river.

The monthly planning report to the Resource Management Committee noted the Regional Council was making a submission on Franz Josef to the Westland District Council's long- term plan.

Regional councillor Allan Birchfield asked what was in it.

Planning manager Jo Field responded, saying the Regional Council wanted to see Westland committing resources and budget for a master plan for the future management of the south side.

"We felt there wasn't enough (in the long-term plan) given the dangers down there from the Waiho River. Once we've built the (southside) floodwall it's only supposed to have a ten-year life so they need to do some planning around what to do for the future."

Birchfield asked if the West Coast Regional Council (WCRC) was "still pushing" for the south side to be abandoned.

"We are pushing for them to do the master planning around that," Field said.

Birchfield asked: "That's what you want though? For everyone to be moved out?"

WCRC chair Peter Haddock said that was not the council's position.

"The council's position is to maintain the floodwalls - it's up to the WDC (Westland District Council) to do any master planning around that. Our role is to provide flood banks as necessary."

Birchfield said the plan to abandon the south side was in the WCRC's own long-term plan.

Haddock said that was the recommendation made by the council's Technical Advisory Group, not by the council itself.

Regional Council chief executive Darryl Lew said despite the completed north side stop banks, and the imminent start of work on the south side, the threat from the river remained.

"The fact of the matter is that the Waiho River is continuing to aggrade in the reach below the bridge at a metre plus a year and every year that goes by diminishes the protection of those banks, to point where it's going to pose a risk despite the work you've done."

The council could not continue to raise the banks ad infinitum because already the bed of that river was well above the town, Lew said.

"We have to give the river some room for all of that sediment that's coming out of the Callery River and out of the main steam below the glacier, to move through the system."

Birchfield said the easiest way to do that would be to "knock a hole" through the geological feature known as the Waiho Loop.

But Lew said that had been dismissed as unfeasible by the Technical Advisory Group.

Peter Ewen said Westland mayor Helen Lash had made it clear that her council wanted to take the lead on planning for Franz Josef's future and the ball was in her court.

Haddock confirmed that the WCRC's role was only to build walls on behalf of the Franz Josef rating district, and its committee decided what work would be done.

Westland councillor Andy Campbell said the biggest problem was that there was no money to buy out the southside property owners, resulting in a stalemate.

"So, just wash them out to sea without any compensation?" Birchfield asked.

Haddock said the WCRC had lobbied the government about a south side buyout and it was clear there was no money for it.

"So we'll just have to wait and see what happens but in the interim there is a plan to protect and hold the line."

- LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.

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