Nelson changes with the climate
FROM
words, a storm event that has a 1 per cent chance of happening in any given year.
The current MFE guidelines for local councils are based on research which indicates a 66 per chance that the sea will have risen by between 0.3m and 1m by the year 2100, primarily driven by sea surface temperatures.
Though the rise won’t necessarily flood any area of Nelson city itself in the near future, it will make coastal inundation during storm events much more likely. Scenes like those in Ruby Bay and Monaco after ex-Cyclone Fehi could become more common and more widespread in the region.
Lewandowski said requiring new developments to build up so high while existing structures were unchanged seemed like ‘‘ignoring the problem until something does happen’’.
Barton said the council ‘‘will be addressing the community about the risks and what can be done to address them’’.
She said people were already communicating with the council about their ideas and expectations, and in future there would be more targeted community discussions about what steps would be feasible.
‘‘I think one submitter [to the Long Term Plan] suggested building a seawall all the way along . . . to protect Nelson from rising sea levels.
‘‘Obviously, that would come at a cost. All the potential solutions will have some cost involved, and that will be part of the discussion.’’
Though predictions indicate that some sea level rise is inevitable now, it is still possible to reduce some of the effects of climate change. In early May, the council committed itself to ‘‘actions and work plans that target climate change issues’’.
Mayor Rachel Reese said local government would be ‘‘at the forefront’’ of discussions around climate change.
‘‘There are opportunities that we are taking advantage of now to reduce our environmental impact: what I call doing the right thing,’’ she said.
‘‘The Nelson community has a reputation for being environmental leaders, and this commitment on climate change is an important next step for us.’’
The main focus so far is on reaching carbon neutrality, or zero net carbon emissions, which Reese said she had a ‘‘strong desire’’ for. Work is being done throughout this year to determine Nelson’s current carbon emissions and to develop plans for emission reductions which are ‘‘measurable, responsible, and achievable’’.