The rise and sinking of South Dunedin – Stuff
Article Synopsis – South Dunedin is one of the most densely populated places in New Zealand. The Dunedin City Council is attempting to educate residents there about the risks of rising sea levels, which is quite great as the city is built on former marshland and much of it is below the high tide level. The Council is hoping that an approach of slowly educating and informing residents about the geological realities they face will allow a plan for managed retreat to gradually develop. So far the response of the public has not been positive, especially to the Council’s proposal that all new homes and sensitive buildings be ‘relocatable’. The reaction to this attempt to mitigate the future losses to home owners shows how challenging planning for sea level rise can be for local governments. To read the actual article click here.