Councils want government to pay for more for natural hazard protections

Councils are calling on the government to foot more of the bill for improving New Zealand's disaster resilience in the wake of last week's devastating storms. Advice from the Ministry for the Environment and Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet reveals this country spends on average 0.6 percent of its annual gross domestic product (GDP) on responding to natural hazards, nearly twice as much as the OECD country average.

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Gisborne mayor and president of Local Government New Zealand Rehette Stoltz said severe storms, floods, landslides, and coastal hazards were increasingly frequent and damaging. Stoltz said research suggested more than 750,000 New Zealanders live in flood prone areas, and that meant $235b worth of residential buildings were at risk.

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Minister of Local Government Simon Watts said the government remained committed to working with councils and local communities to determine the best way forward for people living in areas exposed to climate risks. ''I want to acknowledge everyone who has been impacted by the extreme weather, not only this week but the weeks prior, and recognise the disruption and damage these events cause,'' he said.

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"A key part of this work is the New Zealand Flood Map. This map will ensure that people have good information about flood risks. It will allow people and businesses to plan ahead and make decisions about where to build that lower risk and boost resilience.'' "'We plan to share the first version of the map with the public next year, with some early releases of data before the end of this year,'' Watts said.