Call for Govt role in South Dunedin

Otago Regional Council chief executive Peter Bodeker says the Government has been informed of the...
Otago Regional Council chief executive Peter Bodeker says the Government has been informed of the situation in South Dunedin. Photo by Peter McIntosh.

Dunedin's leaders have called for the Government to join the conversation about South Dunedin's future.

A report released by the Otago Regional Council earlier this week revealed vast areas of South Dunedin are under the threat of permanent inundation from groundwater because of sea level rise.

The area, home to about 10,000 residents, 12 schools and six rest-homes, is predominantly less than 3m above average sea level.

A sea level rise of 11cm would result in areas being swamped by up to 20cm of groundwater, while a 60cm sea level rise would cause much of western St Kilda and Forbury being covered in water and areas of Musselburgh would have 50cm of ponding.

Otago Regional Council chief executive Peter Bodeker said the report needed to mark the beginning of a serious conversation about the future of the area, a conversation the Government needed to join.

"The Government certainly has some interest in that area through the assets it owns,'' he said.

The council had advised the appropriate ministers of the report.

"If South Dunedin is a bit of a bellwether for what is happening in other parts of the country, then I think it is the time [for a conversation with the Government about what needs to be done and how the cost will be covered] and perhaps something that central government needs to do is a bit of a stocktake themselves of what areas are affected,'' he said.

He did not want the Government to control the conversation and said it should be the prerogative of the affected residents, but the Government needed to be party to any decisions.

"We are talking about decades, but decades are only groups of 10 years,'' Mr Bodeker said.

"We aren't talking multiple generations and we do need to start thinking about what action we are going to take.''

His views were echoed by Dunedin Mayor Dave Cull, who said while no decisions had been made about the future of the area, the time had come to start considering them.

"The Government needs to be alongside of us because, A, it's going to require resources that are greater than we can deal with and, B, because it's going to affect communities throughout the country,'' he said.

"Whatever response there is to this, it will be bigger than what local government can manage on its own.''

The Government should be viewing "worst-case scenario inundation resulting from sea level rise'' as comparable to a "slow-moving earthquake''.

"What I'm not saying is the Government needs to get in and take over what happens,'' Mr Cull said.

"What I'm saying is they have just got to get alongside and be part of the process.''

No decisions had been preordained and the city would continue to invest in South Dunedin, he said.

The two councils were working together at present to offer the information to the public and consult on the next steps.

Dunedin South MP Clare Curran also backed the call for the central government involvement.

"I certainly believe all parties should be able to enter into a proper discussion about the future of this part of Dunedin and that it should be a positive future,'' she said.

"The community wants to be part of those discussions, and needs to be part of that, and so does the central government.''

Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Jan Wright last year said a 30cm sea level rise was the minimum expected during the next 50 years.

In her report, she called for the Government to establish a working group to assess and prepare for the economic and fiscal implications of sea level rise.

Questions to Finance Minister Bill English, in regards to the commissioner's recommendations, were referred to Climate Change Issues Minister Paula Bennett for comment.

A spokesman for the minister said, "Minister Bennett is focused on what both central and local government, business, iwi and communities need to do to ensure New Zealand transitions to a low emissions economy, which includes dealing with the effects of rising sea levels.

"Planning decisions ultimately sit with councils,'' an emailed statement said.

"The Ministry for the Environment is currently updating its guidance to local government on coastal hazards and climate change, including preparing for sea level rise.

"The recommendations in the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment's report are being considered through that process.''

Last year, Mr English rejected the need to budget for the cost of sea level rise, calling Dr Wright's report "pretty speculative'' in regards to potential sea level rise and its cost.

Asked again yesterday whether he stood by those comments, he responded, "Yes. Predicting sea level rises and the cost of those rises is an inherently speculative activity.

"Rather than attempting to quantify the impact of particular risks, the Government focuses on making prudent decisions that take account of all the known risks.

"The possibility of sea level rises is one of the many risks that local and central government need to keep in mind,'' Mr English said.

timothy.brown@odt.co.nz

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