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Summarised by Centrist
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says the first version of New Zealand’s first nationally consistent flood risk map is expected by the end of the year.
The Ministry for the Environment is currently pulling together local, regional and national data, with a contractor due to be selected by March. Its long-term impact could extend well beyond storm response and into property values, insurance access and where people are able to live.
Watts says the benefit of a national-scale map is that it provides “a comprehensive and consistent view of the flood risks across the country,” replacing what he describes as “pieces of the puzzle” with a single picture. He says it is important that the information is “consistent and high quality so New Zealanders have trust in the information about those flood risks.”
The stated goal is to give households and businesses clearer data to inform decisions “around where they buy, where they live and where they rent their home.”
Once flood exposure is formally defined at a national level, it becomes harder for institutions to treat risk as uncertain or localised.
Watts also confirmed that managed retreat remains part of the government’s adaptation toolbox, describing it as “at the extreme end of that spectrum.” He said policymakers must consider “what is the lowest-cost decision that will achieve and mitigate the risk.”
Labour leader Chris Hipkins said there may be “a need for managed retreat” in some communities, indicating cross-party recognition of the issue.
