NZPI is proud to announce a series of Resilience Planning workshops as part of its 2015 CPD programme. If ever we needed a reminder, the Christchurch earthquakes and their lingering aftermath have underlined the importance of this aspect of planning in New Zealand. A study presented at the recent NZPI conference by Wendy Saunders and Emily Grace reported that while there has been improvement in the quality of land use planning for natural hazards over recent years, there is still considerable scope for improvement.

NZPI is fortunate to have two of the most pre-eminent experts on Resilience Planning to teach a series of workshops in Hamilton, Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin over coming months. Bruce Glavovic is the EQC Chair in Natural Hazards Planning at Massey University and Iain White is Professor of Environmental Planning at the University of Waikato. Both presenters are acknowledged international authorities in natural hazards planning.

Bruce says that ...

Disaster risk is escalating worldwide driven by exponential population growth and development and urbanisation patterns that have resulted in more and more people being exposed and vulnerable to natural hazards. Disaster risk assumes even greater significance in the context of climate change that will intensify weather-related hazards and compound unsustainable practices. The massive societal cost of disasters is plain to see in the human suffering and long term fiscal, economic, social, cultural and ecological impacts borne by disaster ravaged communities and nations.


Disaster experience worldwide shows that Resilience Planning can help to avert disasters and create more liveable and sustainable patterns of development and land-use. But prevailing well-intentioned planning and public decision-making often discount disaster risk and paradoxically put people in harm way. For example, physical development and even new housing subdivisions are located on liquefaction prone soils in areas of earthquake risk or in areas subject to frequent flooding or on the seashore in the face of sea-level related hazards. It is often only after a disaster occurs that such choices are publicly recognised as being unwise and even foolhardy.


Reducing disaster risk and building resilience is thus a compelling imperative for public policy-makers and planners.

These workshops are a unique opportunity for New Zealand planners to be informed about these essential components of professional planning practice. The one-day workshops will provide opportunities for planners to hear about international practice, but also local issues and strategies in meeting these challenges.

Dates:

  • Hamilton: May 13
  • Auckland: May 15
  • Wellington: May 29
  • Christchurch: June 17
  • Dunedin: June 18


Click here to register


The workshops are supported with funding from EQC