IAG New Zealand welcomes the Government’s Finance and Expenditure Committee’s (FEC) report on Climate Adaptation as a valuable first step in building political consensus on New Zealand’s response to the changing climate, and the challenges it brings for people’s properties.
Reflecting on the report, IAG New Zealand CEO, Amanda Whiting says: “The FEC was given an incredibly difficult task and not much time to do it. They have done a good job of describing the problem and have come up with sensible recommendations. We now need to follow through and keep building understanding and dialogue between political parties on this important issue, so New Zealanders can have much more certainty.
“Forging political consensus is a critical foundation for New Zealand’s ability to adapt. It includes answering questions such as, when to intervene, whose interests take precedence, when we compel people to act, how much personal responsibility people must take and the level of compensation they receive.
“These are difficult political questions that cannot be devolved or avoided, and can only really be answered collectively, if we are to keep our most hazard prone communities safe.
“The impacts of our natural hazards are growing, and we need to ensure that our response is equal to the task. This involves making better decisions about what and where we build and how we protect our existing vulnerable communities. It also involves a much greater bi-partisan agreement on investment in appropriate infrastructure that reduces the risk of natural disasters, where that is feasible. There are many practical steps we will need to take to bring this about, but they must be underpinned by an agreed way forward.”