Turei Metiria: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeTurei Metiria: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 04 June 2015. Volume:706;Page:4331. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]1.METIRIA TUREI (Co-Leader—Green) to the Minister for Climate Change Issues: Does he agree that local authorities will face greater adaptation costs and find it more expensive to protect infrastructure and property as the climate changes; if not why not?Hon SIMON BRIDGES (Acting Minister for Climate Change Issues): Not necessarily in all cases. Good planning manages the risks from natural hazards including the impacts of climate change. Planning involves taking the opportunities of development as well as investing in long-term hazard mitigation. Protection is only one adaptation option.Metiria Turei: Does the Minister agree with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change editor Professor Blair Fitzharris that as global warming continues Dunedin is likely to face more extreme rainfall events storm surges and extreme winds and that low-lying densely populated areas coastal communities and major transport infrastructure including Dunedin Airport are particularly at risk?Hon SIMON BRIDGES: Obviously I would want to see that person’s comments in the context in which they were given. What is also obvious I think in relation to the flooding in Dunedin for example is that it is not possible currently to estimate how much climate change contributes to a particular event. As I think we would all agree extreme weather events have always occurred and always will.Metiria Turei: Does the Minister agree with Dunedin City Council’s submission on New Zealand’s climate change target which says: “More effective mitigation could significantly reduce potential future adaptation costs” and that “the Government should consider investing more in climate change mitigation”; if not why not?Hon SIMON BRIDGES: Of course I agree that mitigation as well as adaptation is very important. That is why we have an emissions trading scheme and that is why there are many measures programmes and research projects that we are doing. Meanwhile I think that New Zealand will also play an important and productive role at the Conference of the Parties (COP21) in Paris at the end of this year.Metiria Turei: How does the Minister justify the National Government’s record on climate change which shows a 13 percent increase in net greenhouse gas emissions to the people of Dunedin and to the Mayor of Dunedin Dave Cull who said today: “There may be some areas with sea level rise that we end up retreating from and not putting any more infrastructure in and actually taking the buildings out of. That is the challenge going into the future with climate change.”?Hon SIMON BRIDGES: There are obviously many things in what the member has said some of which I disagree with. I certainly accept what Dave Cull says—that effectively we do need to have both mitigation and adaptation projects and programmes in place. The Government is certainly willing to play its part in that.Metiria Turei: Is the Minister taking into account increased adaptation costs for local councils when determining New Zealand’s emissions reduction target given that the Dunedin City Council estimates that engineering options to protect private property and infrastructure in high-risk areas against a 0.3 metre rise in the sea level will cost around $10 million and that protection against a 1.6 metre rise in the sea level will cost around $150 million?Hon SIMON BRIDGES: We are doing a lot with regard to adaptation at central government level. We are publishing climate change projections which are very important in terms of the baseline understanding of what is happening. We are providing guidance on adaptation—effectively the principles of planning and good process which are essential for local councils such as Dunedin in terms of how they do things. Of course we have got a New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement which sets out requirements that add clarity and certainty for councils. Indeed as the member will know we are spending $100 million over a decade on research which again is incredibly important. We are committed to collaborating with local government on these important issues.Metiria Turei: By not taking urgent leadership on climate change has his Government not abandoned the Dunedin City Council and the people of Dunedin to pick up the cost of more extreme rainfall events like yesterday’s when the city was swamped in 24 hours by 2 months’ worth of rain causing flooding electricity outages sewerage overflows the evacuation of rest homes and schools the Otago Peninsula being cut off and the side of State Highway 1 “looking like a canal”?Hon SIMON BRIDGES: It would be really good if the member would take a science-based approach to these things. It is simply not possible currently to estimate how much climate change has contributed to the flooding in Dunedin.Dr Megan Woods: Scientists do.Hon SIMON BRIDGES: I am sure actually that all scientists would agree with me on that. What I can say is that we have a comprehensive climate change policy in New Zealand which spans the full gamut of both mitigation and adaptation measures and we can hold our head up well internationally on that.Metiria Turei: Is the Minister not confirming by his dismissive attitude towards the science of climate change that someone is paying the cost of his doing nothing on this issue and that this week that just happens to be the people of Dunedin?Hon SIMON BRIDGES: This Government takes science very seriously; we wish the Green Party would.