Council welcomes Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment's sea-level rise report

Christchurch City Council has welcomed the release of a sea-level rise report by Dr Jan Wright, the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment.

The report released today, Prepare for rising seas - certainty and uncertainty, looks at the science around coastal hazards, identifies New Zealand's low-lying areas most vulnerable to sea-level rise, and outlines Council planning processes and challenges.

The Council's Chief Planning Officer Mike Theelen says the Council welcomes the report's open discussion about the complex challenges that coastal communities are facing with sea level rise.

"The Mayor and the Minister for Earthquake Recovery removing coastal hazards from the District Plan Review Process has created a new opportunity for the Council and the community to work through the science and planning options around sea-level rise. The findings and recommendations in this report will provide a good basis for planning and our conversations with the community."

Mayor Lianne Dalziel says she is pleased to see Dr Wright's calls for better guidance from Central Government around a response to sea-level rise.

"This is why I wrote to the Minister for the Environment last year ahead of our consideration of the coastal hazards provisions of the District Plan Review.

"We will now carefully consider the recommendations in the report. I have invited Dr Wright to talk to elected members and relevant Council staff to assist us in understanding all of the issues that will need to be addressed."

ENDS

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