20 March 2013

Tsumami study focuses on Papamoa, Wairakei and Te Tumu

New research on the tsunami threat to Tauranga City’s coastal urban growth areas of Papamoa, Wairakei and Te Tumu has given fresh insight into managing and reducing potential risk.

As part of the SmartGrowth Strategy Update, Bay of Plenty Regional Council commissioned the Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences (GNS) to examine the tsunami risk to these three coastal growth areas.

SmartGrowth’s Implementation Committee required better information on which to base planning decisions for future urban development of largely undeveloped growth zones of Wairakei and Te Tumu.

GNS completed two reports; the first was an assessment of the size and scale of the tsunami hazard to the study area and the second – specific to Te Tumu – considered how the risk could be mitigated to an acceptable level.

Announcing the research findings at this week’s (March 20) Implementation Management Group meeting, SmartGrowth Chair Bill Wasley said the GNS research would have wide significance to the community and provided a new level of understanding for future growth planning.

“The tsunami hazard is not new – for generations people have lived and will continue to seek coastal lifestyles in the Bay of Plenty knowing we reside in a tsunami risk area.

“However, the real significance of this research is that it focuses specifically on the scale of tsunami and its implications on strategic land use – particularly for planned, yet undeveloped areas of future development,’’ said Mr Wasley.

SmartGrowth requested the GNS study to improve understanding of the tsunami hazard, the likelihood and scale of an event and to consider options for reducing the level of risk.

Determining the extent of tsunami threat to Wairakei and Te Tumu and assessing options of how to reduce the risk to an acceptable level were very difficult questions, said Mr Wasley.

“The cornerstone of SmartGrowth’s approach is to provide evidence-based decision making.

“In the 10 years since SmartGrowth was introduced there have been significant natural disasters, including the tsunami in Japan and Sumatra and closer to home the earthquakes in Christchurch.

“In addition to these events, the regulatory landscape has changed in terms of natural hazard planning for future settlement. It is our duty of care to respond to the changes and ensure we have the best available science as we review and update the Settlement Pattern for these future urban growth areas.”

The SmartGrowth partners Tauranga City Council, Western Bay of Plenty District Council, Bay of Plenty Regional Council and iwi are jointly considering the implications of this research on the review of the SmartGrowth Settlement Pattern.

Read the Discussion Paper and the questions and answers.

ENDS

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Mighty River: 'Mum And Dad’ Investors Myth Busted

Green Party research, confirmed by Treasury, shows that half of the shares in Mighty River Power that National sold to retail investors went to just 13,000 people and that 10 percent of the retail shares went to just 400 wealthy people and organisations, Green Party Co-leader Dr Russel Norman said today.

The sale of Mighty River Power saw 113,000 retail investors, referred to as ‘mum and dad’ investors by the National Government, buy 26.9 percent of the company. Analysis by the Greens and Treasury shows that half of those shares were, in fact, purchased by fewer than 13,000 people who bought an average of nearly $35,000 worth of shares...

“The truth is that 98 percent of New Zealanders bought no shares at all. Half the retail shares went to just 0.3 percent of the population, and a tiny group of just 400 wealthy individuals and organisations got 10 percent of the retail shares. More>>