Engineering can support at risk properties

12 July 2007

Engineering solutions can support at risk properties

The wild weather events this week has prompted the Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand (IPENZ) Chief Executive Dr Andrew Cleland to say that the insurance industry needs to reflect the real cost of insuring at-risk properties.

"The insurance industry needs to reflect the real cost of insuring at-risk properties in their premiums, which will discourage future developments in such areas".

Charles Willmot, IPENZ Director Engineering says no matter how well engineers design to anticipate flooding they can not eliminate all risk posed by extreme weather events, some residual risk will always remain.

"It's a positive that for people living and working in areas identified as at-risk of flooding the issue is being recognised as a problem and needs to be fixed.

Referring to extreme weather events as a one hundred year event is misleading to the public - just because we've had such an event recently does not mean that there won't be another one for 99 years. The actual meaning is that there is a one percent chance that a flood of such severity might occur within any year; this is also referred to as the Annual Exceedance Probability (AEP)".

In a submission to the Ministry for the Environment on the National Policy Statement for flood risk management, IPENZ pointed out that hazard mapping is a useful tool. Considering the trend towards rapid development in many low-lying and coastal areas, comprehensive hazard maps could prevent unsuitable developments from happening. IPENZ recommended that flood mapping work be undertaken with scientific and engineering expertise fully integrated into land-use planning.

Mr Willmot also said that flood hazard information should be included in District Plans, and district councils should impose stricter controls on floodplain development. Consideration also needs to be given to existing land uses, including the way in which marginal land is treated and developing firmer national policy to control floodplain development.

ENDS

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