Westport (Māori: Kawatiri) is a town in the West Coast region of the South Island of New Zealand.

The Māori language name for the river and the region is Kawatiri, meaning deep and swift.

[4] From an archaeological excavation site, near the mouth of the Buller River (Kawatiri), it is clear that Māori were living close to Westport by the early 14th century.

[6] Māori mostly lived in coastal areas, though they explored the mountains for pounamu (jade or greenstone), which they then traded with other iwi.

[10] The 1880s saw many exploratory parties of geologists and surveyors combing the area for the presence of valuable resources and taking the measure of the land.

The town now has a number of Art Deco buildings that were constructed after the earthquake,[4] for example the Clock Tower Chambers.

A West Coast Regional Council spokesperson expressed concern about the under-investment in flood protection including dredging and river management work in Westport.

[15] 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.

[19] In February 2022, Westport and the Buller District had heavy rain and significant flooding, which damaged homes, infrastructure, farms, and roads.

[15][20] 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.

[20] On 23 February, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced a NZ$500,000 scheme to assist farmers in Westport and the wider West Coast region with flood damage called "Task Force Green.

The Buller District Council and the 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.

[17] 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.

The Holcim company had a large cement plant in the southwest side of town until its closure on 30 June 2016.

The Westport News building also houses coast-wide local radio station Coast FM.

Tourist attracts 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 first railway of the area in 1864[failed verification] ran from Westport 18 kilometres (11 mi) to the coal fields, most of them north of town.

Sounds Air announced that it would cease their service in December 2024 and from January 2025 Originair took on this route.

The course measures around 5,600 metres (18,400 ft) with medium to narrow fairways and small "target" greens.