Calm Meeting, by Jeremy Smith.
‘No cherry picking on climate-change scenarios KCDC councillors- just stick to the
proven facts, not “extreme science.”
That’s the message from a packed meeting this week about the coastal adaptation
process.
Meeting organisers from the group CALM (Calm Alarmist Law Madness) say
Adaption zones could cost between $1-3 billion.
It would also cost people their homes, lead to price hikes for insurance, withdrawal of
insurance and mortgages, and loss of home value, all based on “uncertain hypothetical
climate modelling.”
And when the council meets next month CALM wants the coastal adaptation process
stopped.
Tania Lees who led the argument said Kapiti people have not been listened to, and
their LIMS would be affected by “alarmist science”.
Her assertion that the current process is not in the best interests of residents –
“damaging their own community”, was greeted with clapping.
She also said the process so far was not following “a democratic process”- more
clapping.
She wanted to know why the community workshops had been restricted to 60 people
and why no experts were available at community discussions.
CALM wants the pathways process stopped, it wants the LIM report notations stopped
and it wants the council to revoke the Climate change emergency from 2019: more
loud clapping here.
Second speaker Ian Harrison, whose qualifications include a Masters in Public Policy
and study at Johns Hopkins university, said a “Bathtub method” had been used to
ascertain how high the sea could come up: “everything gets inundated.”
He said the council did not understand the report behind the recommendations- the
Jacobs report. He said the report did not need to be peer reviewed but to be validated,
to see if the figures made sense.
“Toss it out.”
Otaki bach owner, lawyer and former Wellington city councillor Sean Rush who has
appeared as an expert witness for Coastal Ratepayers, said attempts to measure
possible long-term sea level rise should be based on “tried and trusted” tide gauges.

Rush has a Masters degree in Law and another in Petroleum Law and Policy.

He has been an expert reviewer for the International Panel on Climate change (IPCC)
sixth assessment, the only NZ-based lawyer to hold this position.
He noted what he called some outlandish claims about possible inundation in Petone.
Rush said the council should be be aware of what he called “activist narratives” on
climate change and also political ones.
Kapiti mayor Janet Holborow spoke to the meeting outlining the history of council
discussion on climate change. She was generally heard in silence.
The auditorium at Southwards museum was nearly full. It seems most people there
were looking for information. As is usual with such meetings some other issues came
up with one questioner from the floor having some concerns about world government.

But Paraparaumu identity Dale Evans may have spoken for many others when he said
he always wanted accountability from his council.