Regional Adaptation Project RoadListen - What We Heard

By Freda Wells
~ Communications & Engagement Advisor, Wellington Regional Leadership Committee 

Maupoko Tribal Authority

29 AUGUST 2024

The Future Development Strategy identified our region’s vulnerability to climate change impacts, and the need to take action to improve our resilience and avoid risks from natural hazards.

Like roads, water pipes, electricity and the lives of the people in our communities – the contributors to and consequences of climate change do not stop at council, iwi or central government boundaries. So it makes sense that we work together to manage this issue as a region.

What do people, communities and organisations around the region need to support their work on climate adaptation?

We’ve been getting out and about, to find out – on the Adaptation RoadListen.

The Wellington Regional Climate Impacts Assessment Report released this June was phase one of a larger climate project. Phase two involves the development a regional adaptation project.

The Regional Adaptation Project (RAP) will build on the findings from phase one’s report, and come up with a mechanism or set of actions that can help us best position ourselves as a region to deal with the current and future impacts of a changing climate. These will include ways to mitigate future costs, enhance resilience, and support a path to a thriving and sustainable future for our region. The project team will present a project plan to the Wellington Regional Leadership Committee in October.

Sand Dunes, Waikanae (photo: Tom FitzGerald)

The Regional Adaptation Project RoadListen

From June to August, RAP Project Lead Tom FitzGerald clocked up an impressive number of hui around the region to understand where all the teams are at with their work, and to surface concerns and find opportunities.

Tom has now met with every key partner of the Wellington Regional Leadership Committee: all 10 local government partners, six central government agencies, seven Iwi and mana whenua partners, as well as relevant agencies including Wellington Water, WREMO and Lifelines. He also attended the Festival for the Future to connect with Rangatahi, who will be impacted the most by what we set ourselves up to do next.

Tom was joined on some visits by WRLC Comms and Engagement Advisor Freda Wells or Programme Director Kim Kelly, and on others by Rufus, Project Team dog.

Pictured above L to R: Tom FitzGerald – Adaptation Project Lead, Wellington Regional Leadership Committee;  Jörn Scherzer – Head of Climate, Waste & Resource Recovery, Hutt City Council; Miriam Randall – Senior Advisor Climate & Sustainability – Hutt City Council  (Photo: Freda Wells)

What We Heard

Our councils are all of a different size, location, topography, economy, land-use and demographics, so as expected, they are working with a diverse range of issues that affect people differently.  Some are facing immediate flood-related issues such as storm-water, rivers and erosion, while others are contending with billions worth of infrastructure and property at risk to sea-level rise. Councils have also organised and resourced these challenges differently.

And yet consistent themes and needs also surfaced from the RoadListen:

  • willingness to be involved in this mahi
  • the need for an integrated, regional approach
  • the need for a regional approach that can work in tandem with district-wide work
  • consistent narrative: clear and constructive communication and engagement with communities
  • tools & resources
  • specific, urgent issues (food resilience and sovereignty, agriculture / horticulture and economy, potable water supply)
  • the importance of education and working with Rangatahi in everything that we do
  • data, data, data – both more consistent data and the ability to use it better.

This RoadListen was also a reminder of three things. Firstly – the value of whakawhanaungatanga. Secondly, that our region is fortunate to have thousands of dedicated and talented people, working tirelessly to support our region – this project is about supporting their work.  Lastly – that we live in a beautiful region that is worth taking care of.

What’s Next

The information collected on the roadListen has informed the Regional Adaptation Project Plan, which will be presented to the Committee’s next meeting in early October.

A Question

Our iwi partners at Ngati Toa offered a wise question to lift up the conversation to the bigger picture: “How do we want our relationships to be, with each other, and with the environment?”

This question will provide a useful compass going forward.

Wellington Regional Leadership Committee

100 Cuba Street, Wellington
New Zealand

E: hello@wrlc.org.nz W: www.wrlc.org.nz