Flood risk map key part of climate change adaptation plan

Thursday, 16 October 2025

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The Government will release a flood map by the end of next year that people will be able to use to check their risk of being flooded, as part of a “National Adaptation Framework” to prepare the country for the worsening impacts of climate change.

Climate Change Minister Simon Watts said one of the most significant elements of the overall work programme was ensuring New Zealanders had “better information about the risks they face, especially from flooding”.

The announcement came a day after the Government promised to “explore opportunities for earlier action” to reduce the country’s greenhouse gas emissions, in response to a Climate Change Commission annual report in July that said the risk of the country missing its 2050 “net zero carbon” goal was increasing and implored urgent action.

Labour and the Greens labelled the Government’s response to the commission’s report inadequate.

Watts said the National Flood Map would show where flooding was likely to happen now and in the future as a result of climate change.

“We’ll make the map readily available, to make it easy for anyone to look up and understand their risks,” he said.

The Ministry for the Environment will release a Request for Information today, inviting organisations to assist with the development of the map.

The goal of the wider National Adaptation Framework was to keep the cost of climate change to society as low as possible by helping people be prepared, Watts said.

The Government was also introducing legislation requiring local government bodies develop adaptation plans for the highest priority areas, he said.

“We have seen in recent years just how devastating floods can be, and we need to make sure our highest risks are being addressed.”

The Government would also introduce a “new development levy system” as part of the framework to ensure councils charged property developers a proportionate amount of the total costs of capital expenditure necessary “to service growth over the long term”, he said.

Watts was not able to immediately clarify whether proceeds from the levy would be ring-fenced for climate adaptation measures, but said more information would be made available soon.