Residents fear new coastal plan could impact insurance
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
Residents fear red tape could leave them high and dry as plans for future coastal erosion at Motunau in North Canterbury are adopted.
The Hurunui District Council adopted the Motunau Coastal Adaptation Plan on Tuesday, with residents raising concerns the coastal erosion measures could impact on insurance.
Climate change adviser James Smyth said the plan addressed the threat of coastal erosion, flooding and sea level rise in the area and sets out thresholds to discuss the next action for the community.
It was the result of nearly four years of engagement with the Motunau community, which comprises 131 properties.
Some residents expressed concern with the threshold of when a property is within 17 metres of the cliff edge.
The 17m threshold was based on three years of average erosion (0.27m a year) and allowed for a large event with 6m of erosion, while allowing for a 10m safety buffer.
Earthquake Commission (EQC) criteria meant insurance may not kick in until a property was within 8 metres of the cliff edge, Smyth said.
‘‘At this stage we are not sure how to act on this, but it is a definite gap in what these residents need.’’
He said there was a recent incident where a property 10m from the cliff edge was declared unsafe.
This left the resident having to wait for EQC to provide compensation.
Chief executive Hamish Dobbie said the council had responsibilities under the Building Act.
‘‘When we get into this situation, we will geotech the house and make a life safety decision, which is separate from an insurance decision.’’
Other triggers included significant capital works being required and the inundation of saltwater into wastewater wells.
‘‘Implementing triggers takes time so we need to have a pre-defined condition or event which prompts us to consider the next action,’’ Smyth said.
Actions include implementing protection measures such as a sea wall or proactive relocation.
Proactive relocation involves relocating people, assets, activities, and taonga from flood-prone or dangerous locations.
The Motunau plan is the third one adopted by the council, following the Amberley Beach plan, which was adopted in June last year and the Leithfield Beach plan which was adopted in December.
The council is also working on plans for the Gore Bay and Conway Flat/Claverley beach communities.
The process started in 2020 with a ‘‘Coastal Conversations’’ project alongside the five beach communities.
■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️
Poll: Would you rather: Christmas in summer forever or winter forever?
Just a bit of a fun poll to get you thinking.
If you had to live out your Christmas days, would you prefer it was a summer Christmas or a winter Christmas?
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61.9% Summer
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36.6% Winter
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1.5% Other - I'll share below
Worst Xmas ever?
There's a a lot of planning that goes into Christmas day and sometimes things just don't go to plan. But it can be a good thing - a family mishap or hilarious memory that you can laugh about in Christmases to come.
Whether you burnt the dinner or were stranded at an airport...
Share your Christmas mishaps below!
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