Thursday’s ‘orthodox no-frills budget’ sounds like Labour is switching from Ecostore to Kmart: never mind your wellbeing, this is about Labour’s political survival.
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Articles on 2023 Auckland flood
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New Zealand’s urban green space has dwindled over the past six decades. The Commissioner for the Environment has issued a warning and a challenge – get greener before climate change gets meaner.
The ‘stickering’ of houses under section 124 of the Building Act, and decisions about when it’s safe to return, need to be informed by science. Affected communities should be involved at every stage.
Flood and cyclone damage shows why turning Auckland and other urban parts of New Zealand into ‘sponge cities’ is the right idea. But overseas experience from China and beyond shows it won’t be cheap.
Building too close to cliffs and slopes, weak soils, lack of vegetation and increased rainfall all played a part in the massive storm damage to Auckland. The city needs to change the way it uses land.
Record-breaking floods in Auckland could see insurance costs in parts of the city rise significantly – some areas may even become uninsurable.
The more hard surfaces we build, the more stormwater we need to drain. Auckland must future-proof its urban design as climate change bites.
The more the climate warms, the heavier the storm rainfalls will become. The Auckland emergency shows how urgently adaptive measures are now needed.
Top contributors
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Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
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Associate Professor of Applied Geology, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
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Professor, Physical Geography (climate science), Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
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Professor, York St John University
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Associate Professor of Environmental Sciences, University of Nottingham
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Senior Lecturer in Finance and Insurance, Massey University
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Visiting Scholar in Politics, City, University of London
