21 Mar 2016

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The company appointed by Christchurch City Council to manage an independent review of a controversial report into coastal hazards is seeking the community's input.

GHD wants to hear from the community what key questions they want answered before it puts together the terms of reference for the review panel and begins making recommendations about the make-up of the panel.

This week it is sending letters to every household within the areas assessed in the Coastal Hazard Assessment Report (Tonkin & Taylor 2015) as being vulnerable to coastal hazards and inviting them to email chcmail@ghd.com with questions they have about the report and its findings.

Meetings with GHD where residents can raise questions are also being held:

  • At St Andrew's Anglican Church in Redcliffs from 5.30 to 6.30pm on Thursday, March 31.
  • At the New Brighton Working Men's Club in Marine Parade from 7.30 to 8.30pm on Thursday, March 31.
  • At the Duvauchelle Community Centre from 4.30 to 5.30pm on Monday, April 4.
  • At the Diamond Harbour Hall from 7.15 to 8.15pm on Monday, April 4.

 GHD will draw on community input and suggestions to recommend which national and international experts should be on the review panel. The final decision of the membership of the peer review panel will be made by Councillors, with selection based on impartiality, combined expertise and availability.

GHD is also seeking community feedback to help develop the questions around the report that the review panel will address.

The Coastal Hazard Assessment Report has already been independently peer reviewed once but the Council agreed in December 2015 to a further peer review.

The second review was ordered in response to community concerns and a Council staff report on the sea-level rise report released by the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Dr Jan Wright.

The Coastal Hazard Assessment Report was released to the public by the Council in July 2015. It identified areas in Christchurch and Banks Peninsula vulnerable to coastal erosion and inundation (flooding by the sea over a 50 and 100 year timeframe), taking into account the potential impact of sea level rise.

Its findings were used to support Stage Three of the Council's proposed Replacement Christchurch District Plan. But in September 2015 the Government announced it was removing the coastal hazards from the District Plan Review process to allow more time to consider planning issues related to potential sea level rise.

This means that the planning response to coastal hazards will now be done through standard Resource Management Act 1991, processes rather than the fast-tracked District Plan review process.

Find out more about coastal hazards.