Monday 5 September 2016
Coastal hazard LIM notations to change
Information about potential coastal hazards on the Land Information Memoranda (LIMs) of properties in Christchurch and
Banks Peninsula will be altered.
Christchurch City Council will today change the coastal hazard notations included in LIMs to ensure the information
recognises, and includes reference to, the recent peer review report completed by the expert panel appointed to review
the Coastal Hazards Assessment Report, prepared by Tonkin & Taylor Ltd in 2015.
It will be made clear in the LIM notation that further work around coastal hazards is being done and that LIM notations
may change in future as a result of that work.
One single notation will replace the four earlier notations, and refer to a risk from coastal hazards, without being as
specific about the extent of the risk, and not stipulate whether the risk comes from coastal erosion and/or inundation,
as the notations had previously.
The change to the LIMs follows the receipt of the second peer review into the Coastal Hazards Assessment Report, which
identified areas in Christchurch and Banks Peninsula that could be vulnerable to coastal erosion and flooding by the sea
as sea level rises over the next 50 to 100 years.
The findings of that report, previously peer reviewed, raised concerns in the community, so the Council agreed to
appoint an expert panel to conduct a further peer review.
After accepting the findings of that second review late last month, the Council directed chief executive Karleen Edwards
to urgently review the coastal hazard information recorded on LIMs.
The Council is legally obliged to put on LIMs information it holds about any special features of the land, including
potential natural hazards that might affect the land.
After seeking legal advice, including information on recent, relevant legal cases, Dr Edwards has decided to change the
coastal hazard wording on the LIMs of the 18,000 properties identified as being vulnerable to coastal hazards in the
Coastal Hazard Assessment Report.
A report noting that the change has been made will go to the full Council on Thursday, and is expected up online this afternoon.
Later this month the Council will receive another report outlining the work that will be done to address the
recommendations of the second peer review.
The Council will continue to work closely with the Community Reference Group established during the peer review process.
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