How To Prepare For Climate Change - Maybe Like This?
A Nation That Doesn’t Leave Its People Behind
In a move described as “compassion with a spreadsheet,” the New Zealand Government has rejected the Independent Reference Group’s recommendation to end property buyouts by 2045.
Instead, they’ve embraced a Managed Relocation Solidarity Framework, with capped, fair and needs-based compensation for residents forced to abandon homes due to rising seas and flooding.
“Climate change is a collective burden. Abandoning our people isn’t cost-saving, it’s cost-shifting,” said Climate Minister Aroha Ngawaka. “You don’t tell your citizens they’re on their own when the sky falls in.”
The policy includes -
A permanent Crown Resilience Fund to support community relocations
Fair market compensation for primary residences
A principle of collective justice — recognising that some pay the price for others’ emissions
The framework prioritises Māori land rights, disabled access and community cohesion, ensuring no one is left behind because they can’t afford to flee.
🧻 Government Press Release
Title: “Resilience with Dignity: A National Commitment to Shared Adaptation”
Issued by: Ministry for Climate Justice and Intergenerational Repair
The Government is proud to introduce a robust climate relocation scheme that honours the Treaty, supports local communities and acknowledges our shared duty in the face of global environmental change.
Finance Minister Nicola Willis added -
“We’ve proven you can balance books without balancing people on the edge of disaster. This isn’t about generosity - it’s about justice.”
✉️ Letter to the Editor – Westport Citizens’ Collective
To the Editor,
We’ve cried, shouted and fought for years. This week, we finally exhaled. The Government has heard us and acted with humanity.
Our streets still flood, our cliffs still crumble, but now we know we won’t face it alone. The new relocation framework isn’t just a policy, it’s an acknowledgement of our worth.
We call on every community to back this kaupapa. Climate justice isn’t just for the coast. It’s for all of us.
Mere Roberts,
Chair, Westport Citizens’ Collective
✉️ Letter to the Editor – Individual
To the Editor,
After three floods, I was ready to give up. But now there’s hope. The Government’s new relocation scheme means I can finally move my kids somewhere safe, without bankrupting myself or begging strangers.
It’s not charity. It’s what governments are for.
This is what manaakitanga looks like and it makes me proud to be a Kiwi again.
Leilani T.
Napier
📞 Phone +64 275 665 682
✉️ Email john.luxton@regenerationhq.co.nz
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