Jane Nees BOP Regional Councillor www.janenees.co.nz

All around the world we are seeing wild weather. This has long been predicted as man's increasing impact on our world changes the balance in our atmosphere, oceans and climate. Sea levels are rising.

Here in Tauranga, recordings from Moturiki Island, off Mt Maunganui, show sea levels there have risen 11cm since 1950, an average rise of 1.9mm a year, which matches the average global increase. Combine this with the increased intensity and frequency of storms, and our coasts and coastal settlements will be increasingly at risk.

In Wanganui this week we have floods. The weekend before in Wellington, wild waves closed roads on the southern coast. This has happened before. But what was telling for me was a media interview with the Mayor of Wellington, who talked about the need to think differently about the viability of coastal settlements in that location, given the climate change trends that are playing out before our eyes.

We can't fight nature. It has shaped our world in the past and will continue to do so in the future. We need to try and mitigate the effects of our activities on the world, but it will take a miracle to reverse the trends we are now seeing. We need to plan for the future and be prepared to adapt as the reality of a changing climate begins to bite.

The Regional Council is working on a regional policy for Natural Hazards which will provide guidance on planning decisions taking a risk based approach for the future. This is critical for weathering the storms ahead.

If you have views on this or any other issue, you can email me at neesj@xtra.co.nz or ring me on 07 579 5150.