Westport () is the main town of the Buller District in the West Coast Region of the South Island of New Zealand. Established in 1861, it is the oldest European settlement on the West Coast. Originally named Buller, it is on the right bank and at the mouth of the Buller River, close to the prominent headland of Cape Foulwind. It is connected with Greymouth, to the south, via State Highway 6, and with Nelson, to the northeast, via the Buller Gorge. The Westport urban area has residents, out of a Buller District population of , as of .
Name The Māori language name for the river and the region is , meaning deep and swift. The town is thought to have been named after Westport, County Mayo in Ireland, although the choice of name was no doubt also guided by its location.
History From an archaeological excavation site, near the mouth of the Buller River (), it is clear that Māori were living close to Westport by the early 14th century. Māori mostly lived in coastal areas, though they explored the mountains for pounamu (jade or greenstone), which they then traded with other iwi.
The first wave of European settlers came to Westport in 1861 as gold miners, and the first European vessel said to have entered the river was the sealing schooner Three Brothers in 1844, though other sealing vessels were recorded in the Cape Foulwind area in the 1820s. The 1840s saw many exploratory parties of geologists and surveyors combing the area for the presence of valuable resources and taking the measure of the land. Amongst them were Charles Heaphy, William Fox and Thomas Brunner. While gold brought initial interest to the area, and for example, led to large areas of the coastal areas (covered by sediment from the river) being dredged for the valuable mineral, the area soon became much more famous for coal mining, still a dominant concern in the region today.
A coal mining company was formed in 1878 called the Westport Colliery Company Ltd, and then became The Westport Coal Company in 1881 when a group of Dunedin businessmen purchased the mines. The coal fields were at Coalbrookdale (Denniston) and Granity Creek (Millerton) and coal was transported to the Westport harbour to be shipped out. By 1905 The Westport Coal Company was New Zealand's largest coal producer.
Westport was administrated as part of the Nelson Province from 1853 to 1876.
Westport has been damaged by several earthquakes, the worst the 1929 Murchison earthquake, in which several buildings collapsed, including the post office tower. The town now has a number of Art Deco buildings that were constructed after the earthquake, for example the Clock Tower Chambers.
Flooding Westport and the Buller District have had several floods since 1846. In January 1868, heavy rain led to flooding that destroyed two wharves. The town was flooded again in October and November 1926, and in 1970, 2012, and 2015. In 2018, Westport was damaged by Cyclone Fehi, during the 2017–18 South Pacific cyclone season. According to Land River Sea Consulting founder and river engineer Matthew Gardner, Westport is sited on a flood-prone catchment and climate change is causing water levels to rise. A West Coast Regional Council spokesperson expressed concern about the under-investment in flood protection, including dredging and river management work in Westport.
In July 2021, wet weather throughout New Zealand caused more flooding, leading to the evacuation of about 2,000 people, roughly half of the town's 4,600 residents. The flood caused millions of dollars in damages and damaged hundreds of homes in Westport. 563 homes were damaged with 70 homes being red stickered and 393 homes being yellow stickered. 23% of the town's 983 dwellings required repairs. By mid-October 2021, 450 homes remained uninhabitable or damaged. 140 people remained in temporary accommodation including cabins, motels, or relatives' homes.
In February 2022, Westport and the Buller District had heavy rain and significant flooding that damaged homes, infrastructure, farms, and roads. Residents were evacuated. On 10 February, a state of emergency was declared in the Buller District. Minister of Rural Affairs Damien O'Connor described the February flooding in Westport as "one of the worst he had seen" and attributed it to climate change. On 23 February, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced a NZ$500,000 Task Force Green scheme to assist farmers in Westport and the wider West Coast region with flood damage.
By July 2022, only a little more than 100 of the 563 homes needing repair in Westport after the 2021 flood had been fully repaired. Buller District Council and West Coast Regional Council submitted a NZ$54 million business case for the region, which includes investing in flood walls, subsidising people to move from flood-prone areas, and investing in Westport's stormwater system.
In late December 2025, AA Insurance temporarily halted the issuing of new home, landlord and business insurance policies in Westport due to the town's high flood risk.
Geography
Climate
The Westport climate is strongly influenced by the high amount of precipitation from the Tasman Sea, with all months being rather wet on average. Despite very high annual rainfall, Westport is often prone to drought and conservation measures are sometimes triggered. While colder than the more northern parts of New Zealand, average temperature changes over the year are not extreme.
Demographics Stats NZ describes Westport as a small urban area, which covers . It had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km2.
Westport had a population of 4,527 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 135 people (3.1%) since the 2018 census, and a decrease of 231 people (−4.9%) since the 2013 census. There were 2,313 males, 2,202 females, and 15 people of other genders in 2,157 dwellings. 2.7% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 50.2 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 684 people (15.1%) aged under 15 years, 603 (13.3%) aged 15 to 29, 2,028 (44.8%) aged 30 to 64, and 1,212 (26.8%) aged 65 or older.
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 89.5% European (Pākehā); 14.5% Māori; 2.3% Pasifika; 4.3% Asian; 0.7% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 4.0% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 97.9%, Māori by 2.5%, and other languages by 4.8%. No language could be spoken by 1.4% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.5%. The percentage of people born overseas was 11.8, compared with 28.8% nationally.
Religious affiliations were 28.3% Christian, 0.7% Hindu, 0.1% Islam, 0.4% Māori religious beliefs, 0.5% Buddhist, 0.8% New Age, and 1.4% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 57.6%, and 10.3% of people did not answer the census question.
Of those at least 15 years old, 378 (9.8%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 2,082 (54.2%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 1,383 (36.0%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $28,800, compared with $41,500 nationally. 231 people (6.0%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was 1,503 (39.1%) full-time, 528 (13.7%) part-time, and 126 (3.3%) unemployed.
+Individual statistical areasName Area(km2) Population Density(per km2) Dwellings Median age Medianincome Westport North 8.66 1,920 222 969 50.9 years $29,300 Westport South 2.87 2,610 909 1,185 49.5 years $28,400 New Zealand 38.1 years $41,500
Rural surrounds Westport Rural surrounds Westport on the west, south and east, and includes Carters Beach, Te Kuha and Sergeants Hill. It covers and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km2.
Westport Rural had a population of 1,446 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 186 people (14.8%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 216 people (17.6%) since the 2013 census. There were 720 males, 720 females, and 3 people of other genders in 600 dwellings. 2.7% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 52.2 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 234 people (16.2%) aged under 15 years, 153 (10.6%) aged 15 to 29, 678 (46.9%) aged 30 to 64, and 381 (26.3%) aged 65 or older.
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 92.9% European (Pākehā); 10.4% Māori; 0.4% Pasifika; 1.9% Asian; 0.6% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 3.3% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 98.8%, Māori by 2.1%, and other languages by 4.1%. No language could be spoken by 1.0% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.4%. The percentage of people born overseas was 11.6, compared with 28.8% nationally.
Religious affiliations were 32.0% Christian, 0.2% Hindu, 0.2% Islam, 0.2% Māori religious beliefs, 0.2% Buddhist, 0.6% New Age, 0.2% Jewish, and 1.2% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 56.6%, and 8.5% of people did not answer the census question.
Of those at least 15 years old, 189 (15.6%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 702 (57.9%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 321 (26.5%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $32,200, compared with $41,500 nationally. 120 people (9.9%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was 510 (42.1%) full-time, 219 (18.1%) part-time, and 21 (1.7%) unemployed.
Economy
Economic activity is based around fishing, coal mining and dairy farming. Historically, gold mining was a major industry, and coal mining was much more extensive than today (especially in terms of employment numbers). However, the region still is home to New Zealand's largest opencast mining operation in Stockton.Stockton (Opencast) (from the Solid Energy website) Some native forest logging occurred in the area until cessation around 1999.
The Holcim company had a large cement plant in the southwest side of town until its closure on 30 June 2016.
Westport is also home to EPIC Westport an innovation hub, which houses software developers and business startups.
Tourism
Tourist attractions in the area include Cape Foulwind, Tauranga Bay with its large fur seal colony, and fine surfing beaches. The opening of the Old Ghost Road which runs between Lyell and Seddonville to the north of Westport has seen an explosion in the number of mountain bikers visiting the area. The Kawatiri Coastal Trail is under development between Westport, Carters Beach, Cape Foulwind, and Charleston.The Pūwaha Section of the trail from Westport to Carters Beach was the first of nine sections to be built. It was officially opened on 6 December 2020. The remaining sections are expected to be completed by June 2022.
Rafting and jetboating in the Buller Gorge are popular.West Coast – History (from the Tourism New Zealand website) Westport is a base for trips to Karamea and the Oparara Basin Arches with the only road access to the area running north from Westport. Paparoa National Park is also located nearby.
Transport
Westport is served by State Highway 67, and the 8.9 km spur State Highway 67A to Carters Beach and Cape Foulwind which terminates at the former Holcim cement plant location.
The Holcim company managed the day-to-day operations of Westport's port until ceasing operations in the district, using it to ship their cement product to market,Westport (from the Buller District Council website)Harbour (from the Buller District Council website) for example to the Port of Onehunga in Auckland.