PHOTO: States of emergency remain in place for both Buller and Marlborough. John Leggett, the Marlborough District Mayor
Buller’s Mayor says some residents could face lengthy stints out of their homes as the clean up gets underway from the weekend floods.
There are hopes some Westport residents will be able to return to their homes on Monday after many were forced to flee their properties at the weekend. About 1000 were accommodated in evacuation centres overnight.
But some displaced residents told Newshub on Sunday there’s little rental accommodation available in the town and feared a housing crisis.
Buller District Mayor Jamie Cleine said officials were working on accommodation options for people who won’t be able to return home.
“Certainly, the rental property market is very limited,” he told The AM Show. “We’re trying to avoid a crisis so there’s certainly a lot of planning going in to the available accommodation and exactly how that’s handled.”
In the wider district, Cleine said one of the main concerns is what lingers in floodwaters – with residents warned to stay away from it due to potential contamination.
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