Buller members of the West Coast Regional Council say criticism levelled at them by Mayor Jamie Cleine over the Westport flood was unfair and unfounded.
A car on Disraeli St was partly submerged after floods hit Westport last week.
Photo: Supplied/NZ Defence Force
Cleine said the regional councillors had been conspicuous by their absence during the crisis, and left him to front a public meeting where he was asked why the town did not have floodwalls to protect it.
Flood protection was the regional council s job - not the district council s, the mayor said.
The two Buller representatives on the council, John Hill and Laura Coll McLaughlin said they were disappointed with the mayor s comments, which implied they had not been on deck to help out with the flood response.
Heartbreaking : Quarter of Westport locals can t return home as receding floodwaters reveal devastating damage
msn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from msn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Really, really devastating : Horror scenes as dead cattle wash up on beaches following severe weather
msn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from msn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.