Regional Policy Statement for Taranaki |
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| This page: | Part B Section 11 — Natural hazards | 11.1 — Reducing the risks |
11. Natural hazards
11.1 Reducing the risks to the community from natural hazards
Background to the issue
A 'natural hazard', as defined under the Resource Management Act, is: "...any atmospheric or earth or water related occurrence (including earthquake, tsunami, erosion, volcanic and geothermal activity, landslip, subsidence, sedimentation, wind, drought, fire or flooding) the action of which adversely affects or may adversely affect human life, property or other aspects of the environment".
Natural hazards arise from natural events such as high rainfall, earthquake, volcanic activity and high winds. However, natural events only become hazards when they have the potential to affect people, property and other valued aspects of the environment.
In terms of the coastal environment, Oakura, the New Plymouth urban area, Bell Block, Waitara River mouth, Onaero and Urenui Beach are areas of greatest coastal erosion risk because of the proximity of these urban areas to eroding coastlines. Other natural hazard risks in the coastal environment are associated with flooding or erosion of riverbanks in estuaries, or along the erosion-prone papa cliffs of south and north Taranaki, particularly where urban or residential areas or network utilities are nearby.
There are potentially high economic and social costs associated with natural hazards in Taranaki with significant consequences for public health and safety, agriculture, housing and infrastructure. Natural hazards may also adversely affect environmental values. One of the consequences of climate change is that Taranaki is expected to have more severe and more frequent extreme weather events.
Inappropriate development or behaviour, or lack of awareness can increase the exposure of people and communities to risks from natural hazards. For example, some human activities can exacerbate the potential for a natural hazard to occur e.g. forestry clearance leading to increased run-off and flooding potential, or building in flood-prone areas. Therefore, increasing public awareness of hazards can be an effective way of reducing this risk and avoiding often costly reactive hazard protection, construction or engineering works. Good planning to avoid or mitigate the effects of natural hazards is also important.
Depending upon the nature of the natural hazard, the level of risk, and the advantages and cost of any action, there may be benefits in undertaking actions or activities to avoid or mitigate the effects of natural hazards on people, property and communities. However, inevitably there will be events where, despite a community's readiness and efforts to mitigate the effects of such events, coordinated relief actions and responses are necessary to assist individuals and communities affected.
The significant issues relating to reducing the risks to the community from natural hazards are:
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Increasing public awareness of and planning for natural hazards.
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Modifying natural hazard processes and taking into account potential changes in the frequency and intensity of natural hazards in the future.
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Reducing the costs of natural hazard events, emergencies or disasters.
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Objective
HAZ OBJECTIVE 1
To avoid or mitigate natural hazards within the Taranaki region by minimising the net costs or risks of natural hazards to people, property and the environment of the region.
Policies
Community awareness and planning
HAZ POLICY 1
Reduce the susceptibility of the Taranaki community and environment to natural hazards by improving community awareness, responsibility and planning for the avoidance and mitigation of natural hazards.
Hazard protection works
HAZ POLICY 2
New subdivision, use and development should be so located and designed that the need for hazard protection works is avoided.
Role of natural features
HAZ POLICY 3
The role of natural features to avoid or mitigate natural hazards should be recognised and maintained.
Modifying natural hazard processes and events
HAZ POLICY 4
The appropriateness of works and activities designed to modify natural hazard processes and events will be assessed by reference to:
(a) the levels of risk and any likely increase in disaster or risk potential;
(b) the costs and benefits to people and the community;
(c) the potential adverse effects of the works on the environment; and
(d) the effectiveness of the works or activities and the practicality of alternative means, including the relocation of existing development or infrastructure away from areas of natural hazard risk.
Reducing the cost of natural hazard events
HAZ POLICY 5
The cost to the community resulting from the occurrence of emergencies and natural disasters will be reduced through the application of emergency, relief and recovery programmes, which reduce the risk, and costs of emergencies or disasters.
Emergency services and infrastructure
HAZ POLICY 6
To recognise the importance of air, land and sea transportation and associated navigation systems and infrastructure as essential services that should have priority in a state of emergency.
Explanation of the policies
Awareness of hazard risks and the adoption of appropriate building controls, including avoiding inappropriate development in hazard prone areas, will reduce the susceptibility of the Taranaki community and valued aspects of the environment to natural hazards (Policy 1). In implementing Policy 1, the net costs and benefits to the community must be weighed up.
Policy 2 recognises that through appropriate planning, the need for protection works can be avoided by siting new subdivision, use and development away from existing or potential natural hazards.
Policy 3 provides that local government, when carrying out their statutory functions, should recognise the importance of natural features such as beaches, sand-dunes, wetlands, riparian planting and vegetative cover to modify the causes or processes leading to natural hazard events, including their frequency or magnitude. For example, the retention or planting of vegetative cover in upper catchments and the protection of wetlands may reduce flood risks, river bank erosion and channel instability.
There will be situations (Policy 4) where modifying natural hazards will produce benefits to the community in excess of the costs involved in protection or prevention works or programmes. Where such works or activities are considered necessary, they should not result in the transfer of costs or risks from one party to others or to the environment without the agreement of the other party and some mechanism to record that agreement for the benefit of subsequent landowners. Consideration should be given to the relocation of existing development and infrastructure away from areas prone to natural hazards, particularly where the environmental costs resulting from protection works exceed the benefits, which would result. In general terms, risk takers should themselves carry that risk. Similarly, those who benefit from the works or services should pay for them.
In the event of a natural hazard event, a coordinated response from the community is appropriate to relieve the burden of loss for individuals and the community affected (Policy 5). The Civil Defence Emergency Management Plan for Taranaki addresses planning and preparation to reduce, respond and recover from adverse natural events. Central government involvement is guided by the Recovery Plan for Natural Disasters and Emergencies. Assistance from central government may be provided when the event is beyond the capability of the region to cope.
Policy 6 recognises that air, land and sea transportation and associated navigation systems and infrastructure will play a vital role in reducing the cost of natural hazard events and should therefore have priority in a state of emergency.
Related policies
All policies in Section 5.1 [Soil erosion]; Section 5.3 [Hazardous substances and contaminated sites]; Section 6.4 [Wetlands]; Section 6.5 [Land drainage and associated diversions]; Policy 3 in Section 6.6 [Use of river and lake beds]; Policy 1 in Section 7.2 [Climate change]; and Policy 2 in Section 8.1 [Natural character of the coast]; Policies 1 and 2 in Section 9.1 [Indigenous biodiversity] and all policies in Section 13 [Minerals].
Methods of implementation
The Taranaki Regional Council will:
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Maintain a regional plan or plans with objectives, policies and methods of implementation addressing natural hazards in the coastal marine area, coastal erosion, river bank and river bed erosion and flooding, and soil erosion.
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Apply regional rules to regulate, mitigate or prohibit coastal hazard protection works, discharges to land and water, the building of structures or carrying out of works in river beds and land drainage activities, to avoid or minimise natural hazards.
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Maintain and implement the Civil Defence Emergency Management Group Plan for Taranaki setting out emergency management provisions for the region including risk reduction and readiness, response and recovery provisions in the event of a natural hazard event as part of the Civil Defence Emergency Management Group.
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Maintain: (a) detailed regional flood response strategies in priority catchments, including the Waitara and Waitotara catchments, and examine strategies for the implementation of a range of adjustment measures including catchment monitoring and modelling of hydrologic responses to extreme rainfall events; information provision; and river training and flood protection works; (b) a regional volcanic strategy that sets out principles for response, an analysis of potential risk, monitoring systems and mechanisms for integrating the emergency plans of other agencies in relation to volcanic hazards; and (c) the Taranaki Regional Volcanic Contingency Plan, which provides for a coordinated response to a volcanic eruption on Mount Taranaki.
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Maintain river control and flood protection works in the Lower Waitara River and the Waiwhakaiho River and undertake other emergency river and flood control works when necessary under the Soil Conservation and Rivers Control Act 1941 and the Land Drainage Act 1908.
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Develop and maintain hazard information including coastal hazards in partnership with territorial authorities.
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Maintain a civil defence and emergency management response capability under the Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002, which includes the ability to assist in the establishment and coordination of disaster relief and recovery assistance programmes.
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Establish or support appropriate contingency funds to assist in disaster relief and recovery and apply such funds in a manner that reduces susceptibility to future natural hazards.
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Provide support, in conjunction with the three territorial authorities, to the Taranaki Civil Defence Emergency Management Group.
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Maintain and where appropriate, extend river level and flow, rainfall and wind, and volcanic seismic monitoring systems to monitor risks associated with natural hazards.
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Provide advice and information to landowners, resource users and the public on: (a) natural events and processes, natural hazards; (b) drainage and river and flood control measures; and (c) ways in which individuals and communities can prepare or make adjustments to reduce their susceptibility to natural hazard events.
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Advocate, provide advice and consider providing financial incentives to: (a) land owners and other resource users, for the implementation of appropriate programmes to modify the causes of natural hazards or minimise the risks and effects of natural hazards such as the afforestation of upper catchments, creation of wetlands and other land management practices to reduce erosion and flood hazards; (b) relevant industries, the preparation of codes of practice or industry guidelines designed to promote measures to avoid or reduce the potential for loss or damage from natural hazards. These codes of practice could be prepared by the insurance, banking, construction, forestry, farming, and mining industries and other land users; (c) other agencies, groups or individuals the preparation of natural hazard avoidance, mitigation or contingency plans, strategies or agreements, where appropriate; and (d) central government the maintenance and implementation of appropriate relief and recovery programmes for natural disasters and emergencies.
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Participate in the development, implementation and review of a national civil defence plan under the Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002.
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Support central government in the development, implementation and review of the National Civil Defence Emergency Management Strategy under the Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002. |
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Management responsibilities - control of the use of land to avoid or mitigate natural hazards In accordance with section 62(1)(i)(i) of the Resource Management Act, the three territorial authorities of the region will be responsible for specifying the objectives, policies and methods for the control of the use of land to avoid or mitigate natural hazards except where the control of the use of land relates to the Taranaki Regional Council's functions under the Act regarding:
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Territorial authorities will consider the following method:
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Include provisions in district plans that address natural hazard issues including the control of the use of land to avoid or mitigate natural hazards. Particular methods may include: (a) special hazard zones and rules; (b) identification of natural hazards on maps and registers; (c) general building and development controls or criteria; (d) subdivision controls; and (e) designations or other provision for public works.
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Territorial authorities may also wish to consider the following methods:
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Take into account the location, nature, and potential extent of natural hazards when providing and planning for the provision of essential lifeline utilities within each district.
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Process, administer and monitor resource consents under the Resource Management Act in a manner which enables natural hazards to be explicitly addressed, and in particular, consider the need for conditions on resource consents, including among others: (a) minimum separation distances, minimum floor levels, requirements for relocatable building and other land use restrictions; (b) esplanade reserves on subdivision; and (c) requirements for the execution of bonds and financial contributions.
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Maintain and implement the Civil Defence Emergency Management Group Plan for Taranaki setting out regional emergency response and contingency provisions in the event of a natural hazard event as part of the Civil Defence Emergency Management Group;
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Provide, as appropriate, works and services within the district to modify the causes or effects or both, of natural hazards.
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Include in building consents under the Building Act 2004, conditions relating to structural requirements for flood, wind, fire, earthquake and volcanic hazards.
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Maintain a civil defence emergency management response capability, which includes the ability to assist in the establishment and coordination of disaster relief and recovery assistance programmes. |
Principal reasons for adopting the objective, policies and methods
The objective, policies and methods of implementation establish a policy framework for the management of natural hazards and, in particular, avoid or mitigate the adverse effects of natural hazards on human life, property and the environment.
While some regional rules apply as a backstop to controlling significant adverse effects associated with natural hazards under the Resource Management Act, most of the methods relate to the provision of services under the Civil Defence Emergency Management Act and, to a lesser extent, the Soil Conservation and Rivers Control Act 1941 and the Land Drainage Act 1908.
These methods focus on the Taranaki Regional Council working with territorial authorities (who are the regulatory and consent granting authority responsible for controlling the use of land for the avoidance or mitigation of natural hazards) to implement a region-wide approach to the management of natural hazards
Civil defence planning and preparedness under the Civil Defence Emergency Management Act provide further means of reducing the potential for loss or damage from natural hazard emergencies and disasters.
The policies and methods build on current approaches to this issue. They have proven to be acceptable to date in terms of promoting effective integrated management and achieving desired environmental outcomes and are considered appropriate having regard to their efficiency and effectiveness and their benefits and costs.
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Environmental results anticipated HAZ ER 1 Reduction in actual and potential hazard losses to people, property and the environment. HAZ ER 2 Use and development of resources consistent with levels of risk. HAZ ER 3 Increased community awareness of, and responsibility for, hazard avoidance and mitigation. HAZ ER 4 Increased certainty to resource users. |