The Earthquake Commission (EQC) and the New Zealand Planning Institute (NZPI) have entered a four-year partnership that seeks to encourage local planners to make smarter land-use decisions.
The two organisations are developing a Smarter Land Use Action Plan, which they expect to publish early next year, according to Jo Horrocks, EQC’s chief resilience and research officer. Horrocks said that her team regularly sees examples of land being developed that is surrounded by or susceptible to natural hazards because the planners involved were not aware of the risks.
“This partnership with NZPI, and many others is an exciting way to start supporting the delivery of this plan,” Horrocks said. “We hope that together, we can raise the standard of land use planning in New Zealand by using research, data and influencing policy to improve planning outcomes.”
According to Horrocks, EQC has an extensive library of research that it has funded, as well as good relationships with science and research community. It also has an abundance of data gathered through decades of claims information and assessment. This information, she said, can be used to guide public policy towards a better approach to hazard risk management, as well as raise public awareness about various natural hazards.
The partnership will enable EQC and NZPI to provide professional development and training to NZPI members, as well as courses for researchers.
“As well as working with the NZPI members, the partnership means that we can support an increased use of hazard and risk information by future planners in their university courses,” Horrocks said.
NZPI chief executive David Curtis said that the partnership’s first step will deliver a series of professional development courses for researchers, planners, and university students.
“One of these targeted courses will help scientists understand how their research and work informs and influences decision making at a policy level,” he said.
