Summarised by Centrist
Kāpiti Coast residents demand that the local council reject a report on sea level rise, which could have disastrous effects on home values and insurability.
The report, developed by a panel led by former Prime Minister Jim Bolger, offers options ranging from engineering solutions to managed retreat for homes supposedly facing sea level rise. Its adoption by council has faced strong opposition from residents who question the science and fear financial repercussions.
In 2012, the council initially attempted to add erosion warnings to Land Information Memorandums, but residents challenged this in court twice, arguing that the science used extreme and unlikely estimates of sea level rise and coastal erosion.
Although the courts initially sided with the council, an independent panel later found the scientific basis lacking, leading to the removal of the information. The council revisited the issue in 2021, launching a new project to map the region’s future climate change hazards.
Critics call the information “cherry-picked, following a certain narrative, perhaps.” Others said “recommending managed retreat this century is fundamentally flawed.”
The council, while receiving the report, said it does not endorse its conclusions and will consider its implications for future planning.
