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RNZ News
a day ago
- Climate
- RNZ News
Decision on additional Tasman flood funds not yet made
Lower Waimea River area, following the recent wet weather. Photo: Tim Cuff / POOL On a visit to the Tasman region, the prime ministers will not yet say whether the government will provide more funding for flood relief. Christopher Luxon visited the battered region on Saturday, alongside Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell. This week, the government announced a $600,000 support package for the region, which has endured damage from repeated floods in recent weeks, as well as $5 million for a new weather radar for Nelson-Tasman . Luxon said cabinet had not decided yet whether it would give more funding to property owners or the Tasman District Council. "I mean, our immediate focus has been, 'Let's get the response sorted, obviously make the decision on the rain radar'. "Importantly, right now, it's about roads and it's about flood protection. We need to see what assessment is then happening beyond that point in time and, frankly, we haven't been in a position to do that." Earth Sciences New Zealand (a new public research organisation, including the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research) forecasts more wet weather for later in July and into early August . Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
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The Independent
2 days ago
- Science
- The Independent
Significant archaeological site could be washed away by the 2100s
One of Aotearoa New Zealand 's oldest settlement sites is at risk of being washed away by rising seas, according to new research. Te Pokohiwi o Kupe (Wairau Bar) near Blenheim is a nationally significant archaeological site. It dates back to the first arrival of people and holds the remains of first-generation Polynesian settlers as well as many cultural artefacts. The site is significant for the local iwi, Rangitāne o Wairau, because of its history of colonial exploitation and the eventual repatriation of koiwi tangata (ancestral remains) in 2009, which marks an important moment in the modern history of Rangitāne. Coastal flooding is already a hazard at Te Pokohiwi o Kupe, but this increases dramatically as sea level rises. The study, led by Te Rūnanga a Rangitāne o Wairau in partnership with researchers at Earth Sciences NZ, shows about 20% of the site could be inundated during a 100-year storm event under current sea levels. But with 50 centimetres of climate-driven sea-level rise, which could occur as soon as the 2050s under high-emissions scenarios, more than half of the site could flood in the same event. If sea levels rise to a metre, which could be reached during the early 2100s, three-quarters of the site will be inundated and subject to significant erosion. From grave robbers to collaborators During the first part of the 20th century, the site was raided by fossickers searching for curios. In 1939, they uncovered an urupa (cemetery) and disinterred the remains of one of the earliest ancestors, along with their sperm whale tooth necklace and moa egg. Further 'discoveries' drew Roger Duff, then an ethnologist at the Canterbury Museum, to the site in 1942. He led several excavations until the summer of 1963-64. The Rangitāne community protested the excavations. Tribal elder Hohua Peter MacDonald was particularly vocal, but the tribe was unable to prevent the digs and the removal of ancestors and their burial goods. In 2003, Rangitāne presented their Treaty of Waitangi claims before the Waitangi Tribunal. The tribunal agreed the Crown had breached the treaty in its dealings with the tribe and subsequent negotiations saw land at Te Pokohiwi returned to Rangitāne. These land parcels were close to where ancestors had been taken and the remains were eventually returned in 2009. Prior to the repatriation, the University of Otago, Canterbury Museum and Rangitāne agreed that research, including genetic sequencing of the koiwi tangata and an archaeological survey of the site, would take place before the reburial. Due to their past experiences, Rangitāne had little trust in the scholastic community. But in a first of its kind, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the parties. Maintaining connections Our study used high-resolution, local-scale analysis of sea-level rise and coastal change to assess the risk to archaeological taonga (treasures) and wāhi tapu (sacred sites) at Te Pokohiwi o Kupe. By combining the knowledge of Rangitāne hapū (sub-tribal groups) about the site's boundaries and locations of ancestral or archaeological taonga with LiDAR-derived topographic data, the research team mapped its exposure to present-day and future coastal inundation from spring tides and storm-wave events. Sea-level scenarios were consistent with the latest projections by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and national guidelines to estimate the likely timing of future inundation. Results suggest climate-driven shoreline changes and permanent inundation will increasingly threaten this culturally and archaeologically significant site. While this research focused on relative and extreme sea-level inundation risks, earlier palaeo-tsunami studies show the area is also known to be exposed to tsunami hazards. Ongoing research supported by a Natural Hazards Commission grant seeks to expand on our findings by integrating multiple inundation types with iwi-led experiences of impacts and mitigation. The goal is to develop new inclusive approaches for quantifying the effects of compounding inundation hazards. The integrated place-based approach underpinning this research supports dialogue about adaptation and rescue options for protecting sacred sites threatened by climate change through a combination of locally led and nationally supported interventions. For Rangitāne, Te Pokohiwi o Kupe is a place where relationships are maintained, responsibilities upheld and identity reaffirmed. While its archaeological value is widely recognised, its deeper significance lies in the enduring connection Rangitāne maintain with the whenua (land) and with the stories, knowledge and obligations it carries. Over time, the nature of that relationship has evolved. What was once marked by protest and exclusion has shifted into a place of active management and leadership, in part supported through the return of the land as part of the iwi's treaty settlement. Now, with growing threats posed by sea-level rise and coastal erosion, that connection faces a different kind of challenge. The concern is not only for what may be physically lost, but for what it might mean to lose the ability to stand in that place, to gather there and to sustain the relationship that has grounded generations of Rangitāne people in Wairau. The focus is not only on preserving what remains, but on ensuring the connection to Te Pokohiwi continues, even as the landscape changes. More than protecting a site, this is about protecting the ability of Rangitāne to remain in meaningful relationship with Te Pokohiwi o Kupe, its stories and its significance. Peter N. Meihana is a Senior Lecturer in History, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa, Massey University. Corey Hebberd, Kaiwhakahaere Matua, Te Rūnanga a Rangitāne o Wairau Trust, Indigenous Knowledge.
RNZ News
3 days ago
- Climate
- RNZ News
Concern as signs point to more heavy rain for Nelson Tasman region
The Nelson Tasman region is facing months of work to recover from recent bouts of bad weather. Photo: RNZ/Nathan Mckinnon Forecasters say more bad weather is brewing which could bring significant rain to parts of the country, including the top of the South towards the end of this month and into early August. Earth Sciences New Zealand (formerly GNS Science) meteorologist Chris Brandolino said the next seven to 10 days would be dry from tomorrow. It would bring some short-term respite for those involved in the cleanup in the Nelson Tasman region. However, there would be "a pivot point" as the end of the month approached and more heavy rain could be on the horizon. Brandolino said the source centred on the Tropics which has been experiencing a lot of unusually warm water and there was a tilt toward La Niña conditions. When that happened in the north it resulted in more rain and thunderstorms in Australasia. "So when these lows come across from Australia or the Tasman Sea there is this source of moisture pooling and waiting, and if that area is active with rain and thunderstorms, that low pressure over the Tasman Sea when it does form, it can tap into that moisture over the Coral Sea, over Papua New Guinea, over the West Pacific and the Tropics and siphon that down." That is what the top regions of the South Island have been experiencing in the last few weeks, Brandolino said. "It is a river in the sky that's able to leverage that moisture and turn it into rain." It would take a break but in about 10 days the weather would change again. "That's the concern - there could be these areas of heavy rain again ... those are the themes that are emerging for very late this month and as we work into the first week of August." An example of some of the widespread damage to roads and infrastructure in the Nelson Tasman areas. Photo: Supplied/ Nick Smith An army of volunteers has swung into action in the Nelson Tasman region to help flood-affected farmers and orchardists with the massive cleanup ahead. It comes as the government announces a $600,000 support package for farmers, growers and foresters across the battered district. The chairperson of the Top of the South Rural Support Trust Richard Kempthorne told Morning Report the funding was "great news" and "very helpful". He expected there would be a lot of requests to the Mayoral Relief Fund, which will receive the largest portion, for things that weren't covered by insurance. As a former mayor of Tasman District, he had seen many adverse weather events. "This surpasses all of them by quite a chunk. ... It's just enormous, you cannot plan for it." The cleanup could be "swamping and daunting" and he advised people to try and take it one step at a time to avoid being overwhelmed. Farmers and growers should ask for help if they needed it, Kempthorne said. Silt, stones and debris would need to be removed by heavy machinery while the standing up of fences would also be a priority. There was a lot of thought going into what needed to happen in the river system and stopbanks in the longterm, Kempthorne said.
Time of India
12-07-2025
- Climate
- Time of India
Why is Tasman getting so much rain? Subtropical weather pattern fuels third deluge
Tasman and Nelson in New Zealand's South Island have been battered by a third severe rainstorm in just over two weeks, with local authorities declaring a state of emergency. Meteorologists are also warning that the pattern could continue into the coming months. Once known for its sunny climate, the region has instead faced relentless rain, with homes evacuated and streams and rivers threatening to flood. Experts say the intense and repeated rainfall is the result of a specific arrangement of weather systems, one that's unusual, but not unprecedented for the region. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Bebe una taza cada mañana y descubre lo que pasa una semana después. Té mágico desintoxicante Undo 'We are so saturated,' said Tasman Mayor Tim King to RNZ. 'The groundwater is literally already at the ground level. So every bit of rain that falls runs off… it's fair to say I'm pretty concerned.' According to Earth Sciences NZ, which includes NIWA and GNS Science, the current pattern involves atmospheric rivers , long, narrow bands of moisture-rich air, streaming in from the sub-tropics and tropics. Live Events These systems funnel warm, wet air directly into the northwest of the South Island, bringing heavy, prolonged downpours. What is the reason for flooding? Chris Brandolino, principal scientist of forecasting and media at Earth Sciences NZ, explained that the current conditions are a classic recipe for flooding in Nelson and Tasman. 'When there's a deep depression in the eastern Tasman Sea and a large anticyclone east of New Zealand, it creates a strong northerly flow of moist air,' he said. 'That's what we're seeing now.' The MetService pressure map for Friday, July 11, showed precisely this setup. The northern regions of the South Island are particularly exposed to such northerly systems while being sheltered from the south and west. 'This kind of pattern increases the odds for big rainfall events,' Brandolino said. 'We're in one right now, and it looks set to continue.' Is it the region's usual climate? While such events are not unheard of, they're certainly not common for the area. The Waimea Plains and greater Tasman region are usually protected from severe weather by surrounding hills and mountain ranges, enjoying mild, less windy conditions than most of New Zealand. But the current back-to-back storms have overwhelmed local catchments, with rainfall setting records since late June. The saturated ground means new rain has nowhere to go, quickly swelling rivers and flooding roads and homes. More rain likely in the coming months The pattern, which began in late June and led to states of emergency across Tasman, Nelson, and Marlborough, is unlikely to ease anytime soon. The NIWA Climate Outlook for July to September warns of further tropical and sub-tropical influences, increasing the risk of heavy rainfall and flooding. 'There's a high likelihood for these kinds of low-pressure systems to keep affecting New Zealand,' said Brandolino. 'This may mean more active weather toward the end of July and even into early August.' Locals brace for continued impacts With saturated soils and full waterways, even moderate rainfall could now pose serious risks. Emergency management authorities and local councils continue to monitor the situation, urging residents to remain prepared and alert. 'This is the third event in just over two weeks,' said King. 'The community is resilient, but we're exhausted—and still in the thick of it.'
RNZ News
07-07-2025
- Science
- RNZ News
Southern Ocean getting warmer and saltier, will 'change the way the planet works'
Iceberg and large fragments of drifting ice floating in front of the Antarctic Peninsula. Photo: AFP / Claudius Thiriet Warmer, saltier water from deep in the Southern Ocean has started rising to the surface, bringing up more carbon dioxide, and causing Antarctic sea ice to melt. Earth Sciences New Zealand, formerly the [National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research principal scientist of marine physics Dr Craig Stevens told Morning Report that the data - from a satellite, and a robot beneath the surface - had only been released a couple of days ago, and that "lots of the bigger picture stuff" still had to be analysed. If it was confirmed that the warmer, saltier water had made it harder for more sea ice to form, "that's a very big story, and it will sort of confirm the trend that we're seeing around Antarctica with significant reductions in sea ice," he said. It is in contrast with earlier data that showed the Southern Ocean was actually getting progressively less salty since the 1980s. But Stevens said that was before a satellite had been used. "For decades our measurements were just sort of little pinpoints from a particular vessel [that] would go here or there, and we would get a single sample. "So that was showing a freshening through to about a decade ago - near the seabed or the seafloor - and since around 2015 that has reversed. "What this new analyses of satellite data of salinity is confirming that happening at the surface." Stevens added that being able to detect salinity - the salt in the water - from satellite was the most interesting thing about the research. It will mean that we will be able to gather better data on salinity over time, and how that might be impacting sea ice. "Ultimately it is about the conditions that allow that sea ice to form, and if those conditions are changing and making it harder, that will flow through into sort of changed ecosystems. "So it'll change sort of the biology around Antarctica, but it'll also change weather patterns, and it'll change heat content in the ocean, so it'll change the way the planet works." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
