Extreme flooding shows need for climate investment

Extreme flooding in Auckland over the weekend shows the urgent need for central government-led investment into aging infrastructure to prepare for more frequent and extreme weather events, the Green Party said today.

It has been forecast that the capacity of Auckland's storm water systems may be exceeded more frequently in future because of climate change-induced heavy rainfall events, according to the Ministry for the Environment.

“There is a real risk flooding on this scale will happen more frequently if the Government doesn’t start supporting cities to upgrade storm water infrastructure now,” said Green Party Co-leader James Shaw.

“Upgrading a storm water pipe is never going to be as sexy as opening a new highway, but we’ve seen the consequences of not doing it – people’s homes and businesses are wrecked and sections of the city are cut off.

“Auckland, like most of our cities, has incredibly old storm water systems that urgently need upgrading. Council budgets are already stretched so either Government funding or a new funding mechanism is needed to help them do this.

“We’ve already seen how poorly prepared much of the country is for climate change, with extreme flooding in Whanganui, Dunedin, and Lower Hutt in the last couple years causing millions of dollars of damage and disruption to people’s lives.

“It’s not just about hard infrastructure. We can also do a lot to stop flooding by creating more urban wetlands and supporting household water storage.

“The Insurance Council and the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment have already called on the Government to start budgeting for the cost of responding to climate change, something Bill English has dismissed,” said Mr Shaw.

Latest Climate Change Announcements

Story

IPCC report shows 2023 is a ‘now or never’ climate election

“This is it; 2023 will be the last opportunity New Zealand has to get a government that will confront the climate emergency with the urgency it dem...
Read More

Story

Greens back School Strike demands

The Green Party backs the demands of the School Strike for Climate.
Read More

Story

Greens not on board with fossil fuel subsidy

The Green Party is calling on the Government to provide direct support to low-income households and to stop subsidising fossil fuels during a clima...
Read More

Story

Green Party backs School Strike demands

The Green Party backs the demands of the School Strike for Climate.
Read More

Story

Big emitters will have to do more to cut emissions

The biggest polluters will have to do more to help meet climate targets because of changes the Government is making to decade-old settings that hav...
Read More

Story

Pricing must cut agriculture emissions

Cutting climate pollution must be the number one priority for Cabinet when considering how it intends to price agricultural emissions, the Green Pa...
Read More

Latest Auckland Issues Announcements

Story

Greens launch submission guide for Auckland Council budget

The Green Party has today launched a submission guide to help Aucklanders give crucial input and prevent potentially disastrous Auckland Council bu...
Read More

Story

Greens launch petition to stop Auckland Council climate action cuts

The Green Party has today launched a petition to stop Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown’s proposed cuts to climate and environmental programmes that prote...
Read More

Story

Hauraki Gulf in urgent need of protection

The Green Party backs the demands of Forest and Bird and calls on the Government to take urgent action to restore the health of the Hauraki Gulf/Tī...
Read More

Story

Greens urge Government to adopt overdose prevention trial

The Green Party calls on the Government to adopt the proposal from NZ Drug Foundation, Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, and the Needle Exchange Services Trust ...
Read More

Story

New public transport model must be backed with investment

The Green Party has once again shown that bringing people together to demand change works, with the announcement today that the Government will giv...
Read More

Story

Exclusive view of the very real threat of losing St James Theatre, Auckland

Green Party MP for Auckland Central, Chlöe Swarbrick has released an exclusive video showing for the first time the extent of the damage done to St...
Read More