New Zealand Considering Forcibly Relocating Families in the Name of Climate Change

Full compensation for land rejected as it would allow wealth accumulation

A man walks past a tree uprooted in Cyclone Gabrielle at Titirangi Golf Club in Auckland, New Zealand, on Feb. 15, 2023. Fiona Goodall/Getty Images

New Zealanders living and conducting business in areas prone to natural disasters may be forced to relocate under the government’s new climate plan, dubbed “managed retreat” and “community-led retreat,” which is still under development.

The Ministry for the Environment published two reports on Aug. 15, providing advice and outlining issues that need to be addressed to support the proactive relocation of communities.

The one report, “Community-led retreat and adaptation funding,” dived into issues and laid out suggestions for how a climate relocation system could be developed and funded.

It highlighted that the current approach of relocation after disasters struck increased safety risks for communities, particularly for Maori communities.

Predictions by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) about the impact of the world’s warming climate were cited as the reason for New Zealand’s rising sea levels and more frequent severe weather events.

“Cyclone Gabrielle was one of the worst storms to strike Aotearoa, New Zealand, in living history,” the report said. “More than 10,000 people were displaced, and 11 people died. ”

“Climate change is increasing the risk of extreme weather events like Cyclone Gabrielle. Eventually, the risk in some places will become so great that it will no longer be safe to live there or affordable to rebuild after a disaster.”

An aerial photo taken on Feb. 14, 2023, shows the Waiohiki bridge and surrounds inundated by the Tutaekuri River after Cyclone Gabrielle made landfall near the city of Napier. STR/AFP via Getty Images

In the other report, an expert working group on managed retreat said climate change posed an “unprecedented” challenge for New Zealand and that future relocations must be done before a natural disaster strikes.

“Although most instances of community relocation to date have occurred after a natural disaster, in the future, pre-emptive or anticipatory relocation will become increasingly necessary,” the working group said in “A Proposed System for Te Hekenga Rauora/Planned Relocation.”

They recommended the use of emergency powers for forced relocation in some instances, saying it may be a “necessary” power to include in a planned relocation system.

“Changes [to the severity of extreme weather events] pose threats to the safety and well-being of communities around the country, as well as to infrastructure and sites of cultural significance. Aotearoa New Zealand must begin adapting to these risks,” the report said.

Wealth Preservation Frowned Upon

The working group acknowledged the costs involved in such an operation, ruling out suggestions for both full and zero compensation for the value of homes and land that will be forced to abandon due to climate change.

Full compensation was the approach taken when the government relocated the residential red zones, areas around Christchurch where homes were damaged in the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes and considered unsuitable for rebuilding.

But this approach was rejected because it would preserve existing wealth, which the group argues is “not consistent with the emphasis on reducing hardship due to impacts of climate change.”

“Payments to homeowners who must relocate should not be aimed at wealth preservation or protecting people’s property from risk,” the report said.

“That would not only preserve existing socioeconomic inequalities but also likely exacerbate them, especially given the likelihood that some of those in lower socioeconomic groups will be renters (rather than owners) and will suffer the greatest housing deprivation in planned relocation situations.”

They acknowledged that communities would be less accepting of government intervention to relocate if it was done before a natural hazard occurs.

“In post-event situations, there is likely to be a high level of social licence for the government to intervene to assist people, both to meet their immediate needs and to relocate them if necessary,” they said.

Further, they conceded that relocation may not be popular with the locals given their connection to the land and community but believe that planned relocation is the best long-term protective solution to climate risks.

Inquiry Into Legislation

It comes after the Ministry for the Environment published New Zealand’s National Adaptation Plan, which said the managed retreat would be one strategy to reduce or eliminate exposure to climate risks.

“For communities in areas of high risk, managed retreat is an adaptation option. It is usually not considered in isolation from other options, especially when planning for the future rather than current impacts of climate change,” the plan said.

“In some cases, retreat may be a last resort, and in all cases, the costs and benefits will need to be carefully weighed.”

Climate Change Minister James Shaw, who is from the Green party, asked the Parliament’s Environment Committee to conduct an inquiry into community-led retreat funding.

“Severe weather events such as Cyclone Gabrielle cause immense damage. Climate change is likely to bring more frequent and more severe events in the future. Decisions we take now, about how to prepare and adapt, will have a lasting legacy,” he said on Aug. 15.

“An inquiry would explore how community-led retreat, including communities choosing to relocate away from areas of high risk, could become part of our adaptation system, and how the costs could be met.”

It comes ahead of the next general election on Oct. 14.

Mr. Shaw said he was proposing that a special committee for the inquiry be formed in the next term of Parliament, made up of members from all political parties to build cross-party consensus.

The expert working group believes that addressing climate change issues would require multi-party support and cannot be dealt with in electoral cycles.