Our work associated with this community outcome aims to protect the economic and social well-being of our communities. The four components of this are:
This financial year there are key activities around flood protection and climate change. To protect our communities, we build and maintain an extensive network of flood protection, drainage and catchment monitoring infrastructure. We've revised and refined our capital works programme for the year to ensure we take advantage of government funding for infrastructure climate resilience projects in Foxton, Rangitīkei, Palmerston North and the Lower Manawatū. Whanganui River training structure improvements, which form part of the Te Pūwaha Whanganui Port revitalisation project, will involve completing our programme of upgrades to the North Mole and commencing repairs to the South Mole in this financial year. Research commissioned by the government and regional councils, including Horizons, has demonstrated that climate change poses a significant risk to the future resilience of our region. The effects are already beginning to become apparent. In the region's west, we are likely to see more rainfall and flooding; in the east, there will be more droughts. Sea level rise also poses risks to our coastal communities. This year our Climate Action Joint Committee, made up of Horizons, our territorial authorities and tangata whenua, will adopt a Climate Action Plan for the region to help address the impacts of climate change.