Hastings District preparing for climate change impacts

Hastings District Council is taking steps to find ways in which the area can adapt to deal with possible future results of climate change. Councillors will be presented with the latest findings that predict the effects of global warming and what it could mean for Hastings, New Zealand, on Tuesday (May 6th) at the District Development meeting.

The meeting will focus on the climate change report, which has been prepared following the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's Working Group I and II Fifth Assessment Reports. This report pays particular attention to how global warming could affect the Hastings District so that a detailed plan of action can be put in place to cope with all possible eventualities.

Councillor Sandra Hazlehurst, District Development Committee chairperson, said: “The report is a strong reminder of the need to take action on climate change. It is now clear that even with our best efforts globally, mitigation alone will not be enough. Hastings District Council has been focused on climate change for a number of years and has been proactive in identifying the challenges.”

The council has made climate change mitigation a key part of policies and has been introducing measures designed to deal with future results of global warming, continued Councillor Hazlehurst. These measures include resource and energy conservation, and the introduction of more cycle and walkways. The report helps to reinforce how the continuation of these measures and the introduction of new efforts are important.

According to Councillor Hazlehurst, the new report does not change much from the 2012 Long Term Plan and impact projections are relatively unchanged. However, the Ministry for the Environment might have to revise its sea level rise guidelines as the new forecast suggests future rises could be higher than previously thought.

“(The) council is currently working on a cohesive approach to climate change adaptation which looks at how the district, both urban and rural, might respond to changes over time. In the meantime, we continue to work with the Regional Council on hazard scenario mapping, and our water strategy work includes an analysis of the systems vulnerability and resilience to climate change. The hazard work in particular is of importance as we look at erosion and inundation along our coastline and whether future development should be allowed close to the coast," she said.