Natural hazards caused by climate change are an ''important issue'' for the Otago Regional Council, chief executive Peter Bodeker says.
The ORC has opened consultation on its 2015-25 long-term plan, which includes, for the first time, ''developing a targeted response to the effects of climate change''.
The council would uphold its existing natural hazards response structure, but add a specific focus on hazards related to climate change.
In particular, the ORC was looking at cases where climate change might ''affect river-level and sea-level rise, and where it might increase our flood potential'', Mr Bodeker said.
''We think that there will be a potentially significant impact of sea-level rise on those who live and work in South Dunedin, and we want to work with the Dunedin City Council to develop a strategy for what might happen.''
The ORC's press release on climate change referred exclusively to the effects expected as a result of it, and not its causes (such as greenhouse gas emissions).
Mr Bodeker said the council did not ''have a policy, as such'' regarding climate change, but ''where we can make considerations, we do''.
Including such a policy as part of the ORC long-term plan's response to climate change would not be out of the question.
''If we have submitters who believe that it's our role to do that and have got some examples of how we might do that within our work, we would certainly receive those submissions and consider them, yes,'' he said.
