Nelson Airport ‘reassessing’ future with new sea-level rise data

Nelson Airport’s exposure to sea level rise has been highlighted after new data shows it could happen at twice the rate previously expected.

Nelson Airport’s chief executive says it is “reassessing” its coastal inundation plan following the release of the data detailing what could be expected from sea level rises and land subsidence.

The recent calculations show sea levels are rising twice as fast as previously thought in some parts of Aotearoa, with Richmond and surrounding Nelson areas projected to subside at a rate of 5mm a year.

The information comes from a new programme which has input from dozens of local and international scientists, called NZ SeaRise.