New Zealanders living and conducting business in areas prone to natural disasters may be forced to relocate under the government’s new climate plan, dubbed “managed retreat” and “community-led retreat,” which is still under development.
The Ministry for the Environment published two reports on Aug. 15, providing advice and outlining issues that need to be addressed to support the proactive relocation of communities.
It highlighted that the current approach of relocation after disasters struck increased safety risks for communities, particularly for Maori communities.
“Cyclone Gabrielle was one of the worst storms to strike Aotearoa, New Zealand, in living history,” the report said. “More than 10,000 people were displaced, and 11 people died. ”
“Climate change is increasing the risk of extreme weather events like Cyclone Gabrielle. Eventually, the risk in some places will become so great that it will no longer be safe to live there or affordable to rebuild after a disaster.”
“Although most instances of community relocation to date have occurred after a natural disaster, in the future, pre-emptive or anticipatory relocation will become increasingly necessary,” the working group said in “A Proposed System for Te Hekenga Rauora/Planned Relocation.”
They recommended the use of emergency powers for forced relocation in some instances, saying it may be a “necessary” power to include in a planned relocation system.
Wealth Preservation Frowned Upon
The working group acknowledged the costs involved in such an operation, ruling out suggestions for both full and zero compensation for the value of homes and land that will be forced to abandon due to climate change.But this approach was rejected because it would preserve existing wealth, which the group argues is “not consistent with the emphasis on reducing hardship due to impacts of climate change.”
“Payments to homeowners who must relocate should not be aimed at wealth preservation or protecting people’s property from risk,” the report said.
“That would not only preserve existing socioeconomic inequalities but also likely exacerbate them, especially given the likelihood that some of those in lower socioeconomic groups will be renters (rather than owners) and will suffer the greatest housing deprivation in planned relocation situations.”
They acknowledged that communities would be less accepting of government intervention to relocate if it was done before a natural hazard occurs.
“In post-event situations, there is likely to be a high level of social licence for the government to intervene to assist people, both to meet their immediate needs and to relocate them if necessary,” they said.
Inquiry Into Legislation
It comes after the Ministry for the Environment published New Zealand’s National Adaptation Plan, which said the managed retreat would be one strategy to reduce or eliminate exposure to climate risks.“For communities in areas of high risk, managed retreat is an adaptation option. It is usually not considered in isolation from other options, especially when planning for the future rather than current impacts of climate change,” the plan said.
“In some cases, retreat may be a last resort, and in all cases, the costs and benefits will need to be carefully weighed.”
Climate Change Minister James Shaw, who is from the Green party, asked the Parliament’s Environment Committee to conduct an inquiry into community-led retreat funding.
“Severe weather events such as Cyclone Gabrielle cause immense damage. Climate change is likely to bring more frequent and more severe events in the future. Decisions we take now, about how to prepare and adapt, will have a lasting legacy,” he said on Aug. 15.
“An inquiry would explore how community-led retreat, including communities choosing to relocate away from areas of high risk, could become part of our adaptation system, and how the costs could be met.”
It comes ahead of the next general election on Oct. 14.
Mr. Shaw said he was proposing that a special committee for the inquiry be formed in the next term of Parliament, made up of members from all political parties to build cross-party consensus.
The expert working group believes that addressing climate change issues would require multi-party support and cannot be dealt with in electoral cycles.
