Whanganui District councillor Charlie Anderson wants any flood mitigation for Onetere Drive to be treated first and foremost as a roading issue - particularly around access to the airport.
On Tuesday the council voted to investigate stop banks to protect houses on the flood-prone area.
But when the area floodedin June 2015 it also inundated a part of Wikitoria Rd on the way to the airport.
Mr Anderson said a pilot had to wade through water to get to the airport for a organ transfer.
The road was never officially closed but was impassable to regular vehicles for between two and six hours.
"There's clearly no will to cooperate here. If there was a will the recommendation would be quite different, I'm sure.
"We've got to keep the road open. It wouldn't be acceptable in any other town."
Councillor Ray Stevens said a story like that was the best way to sell and roading fix to the problem (such as a bridge) to the New Zealand Transport Agency in a bid to attract funding.
"We need this bridge and these are the reasons why," he said.
"We could attract a subsidy. I think we should treat this as a roading issue and slip everything else down."
