A report has unveiled a concerning reality for residents along the Hawke's Bay coast ― with thousands of homes within a coastal inundation zone and susceptible to the impacts of rising sea levels.
The recent Tonkin and Taylor report, conducted for Napier, Hastings, and regional councils, has shed light on the potential effects of flooding due to rising sea levels over the next 70 years.
The extensive document highlights the vulnerability of more than two thousand homes.
Westshore resident Andy Walker said he wasn’t surprised after receiving a council letter notifying him of the report.
"Frankly, it would be a disaster if that were to happen ― so let's just fix it. Fix it now. Do something permanent. We know we've got time up our sleeve," he said.
“If anything, I think it's not a bad thing [if] some good comes of this and they put something permanent that's going to mitigate the situation,” Walker said
Despite efforts such as the reconstruction of seawalls and recent protection initiatives, financial constraints have hindered comprehensive mitigation plans. This has led to some stalled projects along the East Coast, with not all residents in in different suburbs in favour of shouldering the costs associated with protective infrastructure.
Napier City Council has taken proactive steps by conducting information sessions for residents, aiming to address future building requirements.
Napier Mayor Kirsten Wise emphasised a need for a cohesive national policy and framework to help councils nationwide.
'Step up and take leadership'
"We absolutely do need central government to step up and take a leadership role on this and start developing some national policy and framework, otherwise you'll have individual councils around the country working in their own way and that's not ideal. "
"This informs our building team in terms of what do we need to put in place with building consents; what conditions might we need to introduce to make it safe for people to build in an area."
Environment Minister Penny Simmonds acknowledged the concerns and indicated that discussions were underway regarding partnerships with local authorities.
“At this stage, Cabinet hasn't made any decisions about it but is obviously very aware the work's being done,” Simmonds said.
Residents remain hopeful that the report's findings will pave the way for more permanent solutions.
But the road ahead is a long one, with the pressing need for action remains paramount to protect these coastal communities from the looming risks of inundation.
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