Local Government New Zealand is backing a plan by the country's largest insurer to speed up efforts to reduce flood risks in the face of climate change.
Some Westport residents' homes became uninhabitable following devastating floods in July 2021. Photo: Supplied/NZ Defence Force
IAG has released its three-part plan today. It includes stopping building in flood-prone areas, the private and public sector sharing information, and coming up with an infrastructure work programme for the worst affected areas.
Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ), which advocates for local councils, said IAG's plan was "pragmatic and sensible".
It warned if flooding was not dealt with urgently, there was a risk New Zealanders would lose their lives.
"It's no secret that flood risk is a much more immediate threat than the likes of sea-level rise. It's happening right now, more frequently, and councils and communities are all at different stages of preparedness," said LGNZ chief executive Susan Freeman-Greene.
Freeman-Greene warned current work would take too long.
"The government's recent development of a National Adaptation Plan and parts of the resource management reforms are promising, but we could be waiting the best part of a decade to see any practical changes bed in," she said.
In the meantime, Freeman-Greene said councils were doing what they could but a different approach was needed.
"Councils, residents, and emergency services around the country are on the frontline when it comes to dealing with the effects of climate change," she said.
"Many councils are already mapping out flood-prone areas, but we need a more cohesive approach."
LGNZ is urging the government to consider IAG's plan.
"We urge the minister of climate change and minister for the environment to take a serious look at the solutions on the table. They are practical and manageable," she said.
"If we don't deal with flooding with a sense of urgency, we risk more New Zealanders losing their lives."
There have been 10 major floods in the past two years with total insured losses of about $400 million, while the wider economic and social costs extend into the billions.
About 1 percent of homes - some 20,000 properties - are at greatest risk of river flooding.
"Tens of thousands of New Zealanders live in houses that are prone to flooding," Freeman-Greene said.