Council faces impending community job losses
The Hastings District Council, already facing debt and ongoing storm repairs, discusses the community implications of the McCain and Heinz Wattie’s closures in January as...
Category : Environment
More than just a visitor centre
The Dolomite Point Redevelopment and Punangairi Visitor Centre are lessons in the way collaboration turned a well-visited coastal area into a national showcase of local...
Our Chicken Little Syndrome
Have we become paranoid over our historically tempestuous weather, asks Alan Titchall, reviewing the drama around the storms in April (2026) Cyclone Vaianu last month,...
Lake drained in clam war
Lake Rotomanu near New Plymouth is being drained over four days to get rid of the invasive fresh-water clam Corbicula fluminea. The clam was found in...
A key tool for planned retreat
Image: Clifftop and coastal edge development, where the more seaward sections have been down-zoned to limit further intensification in highly exposed areas. Natural hazard plan...
Government sets consent expectations
Chris Bishop, the Minister for RMA Reform, along with the Ministers for Agriculture and the Environment, has sent clear expectations to all regional and unitary...
Seismic sense on its way
The earthquake-prone building system brought in almost 10 years ago as a reaction to the Christchurch quakes will be refocused to reduce repair costs. “While...
Lesson in urban flooding
Large councils around the country are starting to appreciate that even if a flood zone hasn’t flooded for decades, it is still not wise to...
Navigating coastal erosion
Coastal erosion poses a complex challenge for local authorities, and tackling the issue calls for a multifaceted approach, including enhanced monitoring, inventory-taking, robust asset management...
Solar – getting to grips with glint and glare
As we transition towards more renewable energy, solar farms have emerged as a crucial component of the country’s sustainable energy strategy and demands the need...