The Climate Change Response Amendment Bill, introduced to Parliament last Wednesday, requires councils to plan for climate change 30 years into the future and include the costs for it.

The bill comes as a new report by Earth Sciences New Zealand estimates the West Coast could pay up to $24 million annually for flood damages to infrastructure by 2075, as well as the highest losses to private buildings in proportion to their asset value, along with Hawke's Bay and the Bay of Plenty.

The West Coast council has already been implementing climate change measures in Westport.

Widespread flooding hit in the township five years ago last week, in July 2021 and again in February 2022.

The July 2021 storm flooded 826 properties and saw 2000 people evacuated -- half the town's population.

Climate change measures in Westport include a $25.8 million co-funded flood protection scheme, a 16km ring stopbank surrounding the town, emergency planning, and planning for new housing on an elevated site on the opposite side of the Buller River.

Council chief executive Darryl Lew said the bill was likely to be amended in Parliament and go through further readings, which is why the regional council would wait for the outcome before making any decisions on an adaptation plan.

"The bill has only just been introduced to Parliament and must go through select committee and further readings. It's likely to be amended through the select committee process and subsequent readings so WCRC will not be taking any pre-emptive action."

He said the regional council would only need to identify priority areas under the new spatial planning process, with district councils developing adaptation plans.

"As currently proposed, regional councils would have to identify high-priority areas through the new spatial planning process included in the Resource Management Act reforms. District councils would then develop adaptation plans for any high-priority communities within their area," Mr Lew said.

Regional councils across the country will be scrapped by 2028 as they are absorbed into a slimmer version of local government prompted by the Government's Head Start pathway, which has encouraged a merging of councils.

The WCRC has endorsed the development of a proposal to restructure local government in the region, with the Westland, Grey and Buller districts submitting a formal joint proposal for the West Coast before the August 9 deadline.

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