ATTACHMENT 1
Future Buller / Climate Adapta�on
Report – Project Update
To: Risk and Audit Commitee (Mee�ng 17 April 2024)
Author: Di Rossiter - Climate Adapta�on Planning, Project Manager for BDC
Approved: Nathan Riley GM Regulatory Services
This project update has been provided to support repor�ng to the Risk and Audit Commitee
mee�ng, 17 April, and includes updates on the:
• Current work programme,
• Forward work programme,
• Key issues for SLT & Governance visibility, and
• Project History and Budget
Current work programme
The Project comprises three dis�nct but interdependent sub-projects: community engagement, risk
assessment, and adapta�on planning.
1. Community Engagement
• In Nov / Dec 2023, a series of community workshops were run across the district to build
awareness of the project, its purpose, and its structure.
• To minimise expenditure, the project team delivered mul�ple community engagement
workshops on each day, and on consecu�ve days. This reduced the flexibility we could
apply around the when each workshop was held and for how long. We are aware this
meant some community members were unable to atend during the �mes that the
workshops were held.
• We have reviewed the outcomes from Round #1 of our community engagement and
iden�fied improvements summarised in Table 1 (at end of this report). However, there
are several constraints associated with these proposed improvements that require
further considera�on.
• An online portal
(Future Bul er: Adap�ng to climate change (bul erdc.govt.nz) has been
launched for those unable to atend a scheduled workshop.
ATTACHMENT 1
Table 1: Proposed community engagement improvements.
Issue Encountered
Response
Constraint
Lower than ideal
•
Ensure mul�ple opportuni�es
•
Budget impacts on
community atendance at
and mechanisms and marke�ng
number (but more
some mee�ngs (from lack
ac�vi�es (including online) are
importantly �ming) of
of interest, literacy issues,
provided for engagement
in-person workshops
exis�ng commitments,
•
Ensure support mechanisms
that can be held
internet access or vehicle
(e.g., transport or online support
•
May affect atendance
access challenges) and
at the library) are provided so all
as people less wil ing /
impacts this wil have on
community members are given
able to travel longer
impact on the diversity of
the opportunity to engage
distances to atend
views, and subsequent
•
Target already established
workshops
reduc�on in process
community networks and groups
•
Wil ingness of network /
robustness and legi�macy,
and community events and use
community connectors
sub-op�mal DAPPs and
these to propagate
to par�cipate and
lack of community buy-in
communica�ons
support process in some
in DAPPs
•
Target youth forums and schools
instances
•
•
Many moving parts to
Note we were pul ed into
Consider holder fewer workshops
coordinate means the
early engagement due to
but at �mes that may cater to the
need to remain flexible
TTPP engagement on
greatest number of community
wil compromise
coastal hazards and a
members e.g., group Karamea /
engagement planning
desire to align approaches
northern Buller workshop and
/ messaging
hold in, say, Ngakawau, from
3pm – 7pm
•
Use community connectors to
connect people and build trust in
process
•
Ensure engagement is scheduled
months in advance so we can
build awareness of what is
happening
•
Ensure alignment between
project schedules wel in advance
Community does not care
•
Have a joined-up approach (both
•
Many moving parts to
which organisa�on we are
Councils), and if possible, with
coordinate means the
from (BDC or WCRC or
other agencies and departments
need to remain flexible
other)
– no ‘passing the buck’
wil compromise
•
Aligned messaging, comms
engagement planning
strategy, and schedule as it is all
one project (the district’s future
resilience)
ATTACHMENT 1
Misinforma�on, climate
•
Start communica�ng and keep
•
Budget impacts on
change denial, and
communica�ng (even if we have
communica�ons
mistrust regarding
nothing new to share) through
resourcing
incompetence or hidden
proac�ve engagement with The
•
Limited internal Council
agendas
Westport News and social
resource
media(?) to strategical y fil the
gap with facts and counter
misinforma�on with science
2. Risk Assessment
• Council’s Risk Assessment process commenced in 2022 with a high-level risk screening
process across 5 domains: Built Environment, Economy, Governance, Human, and
Natural Environment. A series of workshops were held with Technical Advisory Groups
(TAGs) that held essen�al knowledge for the process, and a High-Level Risk Screening
report was produced.
• A sixth domain, Kaupapa Māori, requires input from Te Rūnanga o Ngā� Waewae. We
are ready to work with Ngā� Waewae on this when the �me is right for them. In the
mean�me, we keep them updated on the project through writen summary reports.
• Table 2 below explains the risk domains.
• Fol owing the comple�on of the high-level risk assessment, we have been commissioning
and col a�ng climate and natural hazard risk data so we can understand what is at risk
and how this risk changes in the future under different climate scenarios.
Table 2: Risk assessment domains.
3. Adapta�on Planning
• In early 2024, the project group commenced scoping of the adapta�on planning process.
link to page 4
ATTACHMENT 1
Forward work programme
Task
Indica�ve �meframe
Prepare and delive
r1 Risk Explorer for SLT, elected members and iwi
Jun/Jul 2024
Share Risk Explorer with TAG and test Risk Assessment findings
Aug 2024
Prepare for and commence community engagement Round #2
Sept – Oct 2024 onwards
focused on sharing risk informa�on
Risk priori�sa�on process
Aug – Nov 2024
Start building adapta�on plans
Nov 2024 onwards
Table 3: Forward work programme summary
1. Community Engagement
• Proposed community engagement improvements (see Table 1) require further
considera�on and priori�sa�on.
• Exis�ng networks and ‘community connectors’ wil be u�lised to atain beter reach
within our communi�es.
• There wil be a push to increase visibility of the Future Bul er website via the BDC
website over the coming 2 months and increase online engagement and contribu�on.
• Round 2 of (face to face) community engagement is schedule to commence August /
September 2024. The scheduling of this engagement wil be undertaken in co-ordina�on
the Resilient Westport Communica�on & Engagement Team, relevant representa�ves
from West Coast Regional Council, as well as with guidance from Council’s Governance
group and SLT as required.
2. Risk Assessment
• An online geospa�al tool, named Risk Explorer, is in the final stages of development and
wil be delivered for review in June.
• Risk Explorer will be used to visually illustrate our district’s complex and changing risk
profile and communicate this risk with Council, iwi, stakeholders, and the community.
• A writen Detailed Risk Assessment report wil be provided in June to accompany the
delivery of Risk Explorer.
• The process of risk ranking, and priori�sa�on wil then need to be undertaken. This wil
require significant input from Council’s SLT and elected members, as well as the Technical
Advisory Groups (TAGs).
1 Note this wil never be ‘complete’ as we wil always be adding new data from the na�onal and interna�onal science
community, as it becomes available
link to page 5 link to page 5
ATTACHMENT 1
• Difficult decisions wil need to be made due to the large gap between our district’s
adapta�on needs and the funding required to meet them
2.
3. Adapta�on Planning
• Once risks are ranked and priori�sed and communi�es engaged, dynamic adap�ve
pathway plans wil be built for (with input from) our communi�es at risk.
Key issues and challenges
1. Strategic integra�on and priori�sa�on of communica�ons and community engagement
across mul�ple projects (with interdependencies) that enables:
• Best use of resources, and
• Best outcome for communi�es.
2. Re-building trust across our communi�es fol owing a turbulent post-disaster period.
3. Best use of available budget to avoid sub-op�mal outcomes e.g., data gaps introduce
uncertainty.
4. Developing best prac�ce as we work through the process i.e., there are currently no “off the
shelf templates” for the delivery of climate risk assessments and adapta�on plans in
Aotearoa.
5. Working effec�vely under the chal enge presented by Bul er’s significant climate risk profile
where the district is already one of the country’s most exposed districts to climate effects
3,
with three of our most socio-economical y deprived communi�es (Urban Westport, Granity,
and Hector) making the list of Aotearoa’s 44 most flood vulnerable communi�es.
6. Working effec�vely to understand and address the considerable and increasing risk to our
built environments and social structures, as well as our district’s complex indirect and
cascading risk profile.
7. Keeping our most vulnerable communi�es safe whilst naviga�ng the chal enges of what
immediate op�ons are available.
2 At the �me of wri�ng, there has been no decision from Government regarding funding models or mandatory
mechanisms.
3 Vulnerable-Communi�es-Exposed-to-Flooding-Report- Oct2022.pdf
ATTACHMENT 1
Project History
In its LTP 2021 – 2031, Council started the conversa�on with its local communi�es about climate
change issues, resilience, and the need for science-based adapta�on planning, and confirmed a
significant mismatch between the scale of our district’s adapta�on chal enge and the resource
available to address it. The community priori�sed investment into climate resilience and adapta�on
planning and Council responded accordingly by priori�sing a stepped approach across several years
within the LTP 2021 – 2031. While the budget al oca�on was significant for BDC, it was insufficient to
achieve the project aims and co-funding (60:40) was achieved through MBIE’s Business in Partnership
(BIP) fund in 2023 and in partnership with the University of Canterbury.
Budget
Table 4 below: Overall Project budget compared to actual costs to 28 February 2024.
