North Canterbury News: May 19, 2022

NEWS
4 The North Canterbury News, May 19, 2022
Sea level rise one risk to beach communities
By DAVID HILL
LivinginNorthCanterbury’s beach
communities carries alevel of risk and
it’sabout findingthe levelthat’s
acceptable.
Hurunui DistrictCouncil chief
strategy and communityofficer Judith
Batchelor sayssea levelrisedue to
climatechangeisone of several risks
facing beachside communitiesand
how to managethatriskisadifficult
conversation.
She was reflecting on new sealevel
risedatareleasedbythe government
earlier this month.
‘‘It’s not straightforward. It’snot a
caseofin2035weneed to do a
managed retreat. It’satrigger
response andthe scienceischanging,
so the speed at which we reach those
trigger pointscan change.
‘‘There areways of mitigatingthat
risk,such as building asea wall, but if
themost importantthingfor residents
is easyaccess to the beach, thenthat
maynot be adesirable solution.
‘‘So it needstobeacommunity
solution.’’
Communities are at different stages
of readiness, withsomeactively
engaged with the council, whilefor
others it may takeastorm event to spur
them into action, Ms Batchelor says.
Conversations include considering
at what pointacommunity will needto
retreat,wheretorelocate the
communitytoand who is going to cover
thecost.
Thereisalso thecost of restoring the
coastal environmentonce the
communityhas beenrelocated.
Shesays theChristchurch City
Council is exploring theoption of
relocatablehousingonpiles,which
caneasily be relocatedand protectthe
homeowner’sinvestment.
WaimakaririDistrict Council
planning andregulation manager
Tracy Tierneysays the council will
taketime to consider thelatest
information.
‘‘Our most recenthazardmap update
includes an allowance forsea level rise
and changing rainfall.’’
The newreport includes data for
landsubsidence as well as sea level
rise, so the council is keen to explore
how the combination of twomay affect
hazards in the future, shesays.
Kaikoura District Council strategy,
policyand planning manager Matt
Hoggardsays the impactofclimate
change hasalways beenonthe
council’sradar, but theuplift in the
coastlinecaused by the2016
earthquake hasreducedthe risk.
The data suggests Kaikoura will
experienceayearly sea levelrise of
millimeters,which is offsetbythe
recentseabed uplift, fornow.
Thecouncilwillcontinue to monitor
data as it becomes available andis
working closely withEnvironment
Canterbury, Mr Hoggard says.
‘‘Based on this information we find it
reassuringthatthe Kaikoura coastline
hasresiliencefor the forseeable future
andour long termdevelopment plans
arestillonsolid ground.’’
ClimateChange Minister James
Shaw says thenew sea levelrisedata
provides furtherevidence of the
challengeseaside communities face.
‘‘Theunderlying questionitasksis
whether we can addressthe challenge
in away that benefitseveryone,’’ he
says.
TheGovernment is consultingonthe
National Adaptation Plan for
addressing theimpactofclimate
change.ConsultationclosesonJune3.
Rangiora youthtakes giant strides to wintop award
CodyThomsontook somegiant
stridesduringarecentBlue
Lights Life Skillsprogramme
at Burnham MilitaryCamp.
Codyreally enjoyed the
adrenaline forest, bike ride,
and the drill where everyone
marched in sync.
‘‘Itwas so cool when
everyone was in sync, and did
everything together.
‘‘One of the staff members
had slightly longer legsthan
me, resulting in long strides in
the drill, requiring me to step
quite far,’’says Cody.
The 14­year­oldwas awarded
the OverallExcellence Award,
beating an exceptional group
of young people from across
Aotearoa.
BlueLightsSouthIslandcoordinator
Nicola Patterson
saysCody gainedthe award by
demonstrating the qualities of
maturity, respect, intuition
and through building
individualand group mana.
The camp in Burnham from
May 2to6,offered Cody the
ability to learn Life Skillssuch
cleaning ablution blocks and
the exterior of the camp, rising
early, makinghis bed, and
cleaning the roomby6am for
morninginspection.
Codyalso tookpart in
experiential learning
activities suchasthe highwire
course, mountain biking,
parade grounddrills, taking
part in leadership, teamwork,
and physicalactivities,along
with avisit to the International
Antarctic Centre.
‘‘The camp was fantastic.
‘‘Everything was wellorganised
and all the stafftried
to ensurethe majorityofthe
traineesmade it to the Friday
parade.
‘‘That'sall Ihave to say, I
really loved the experience,’’
says Cody.
Blue Lights highly successful
Life Skills programme has
been run in partnership with
NZ Defence Forcefor the past
12 years and has adventurebased
experientiallearning as
akey part of the programme.
The programmeprovides
14­17­year­olds critical life
skills suchasselfdevelopment,
self­control, and
teamwork enablingthem to be
successfulathome,school,
communities,and
employment.
Up to 12 courses are held
each yearinAuckland,Taupo,
Trentham, and Burnham
locations.
For moreinformation about
the Blue Light Life Skills
camps visitbluelight.co.nz.
Good skills ... NZ Police Youth
Aid Officer, Selwyn, Senior
Constable Bruce Ward, and
Overall Excellence Winner Cody
Thomson.
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