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Researchers say councils need to be doing much more to ensure homes and other buildings are not wiped out when a mega-tsunami eventually strikes the east coast of the North Island.
Scientists predict a one-in-1000-year tsunami will happen at some point but just two of ten councils in the firing line are considering the risk as they develop land, future-proof infrastructure, and issue building consents.
RNZ reporter Katie Todd has been investigating with support from the Aotearoa New Zealand Science Journalism Fund.