Abstract | Implementing change to enhance resilience: Where are the new ways forward?

Our communities face a plethora of emerging challenges, including: climate change, increased urbanisation and intensification, competing cultural understandings of water management, declining water quality and levels of infrastructure service and ageing infrastructure. Affordability pressures over the next 30 years compel local authorities to look for innovative solutions for implementing change that will enhance resilience while managing costs, particularly in the infrastructure space.

Local authorities broadly report that customers increasingly expect higher levels of service with no impact on rates -- both in minimising the extent and frequency of stormwater flooding during and after storm events and increasing desirable improvements on water quality and the ability to protect and gather māra kai. Nevertheless, because stormwater assets have been relatively less visible to consumers and ratepayers compared to their water and wastewater services, this area has not been a ready focus of investment.

These challenges create an opportunity to re-look at what Communities want from their stormwater infrastructure, and for Councils, Infrastructure Managers and Investors to make better investment decisions, provide better levels of service and create better environments. There is also an opportunity to increase the resilience and intergenerational sustainability of our built environments through stormwater management.

This presentation will explore key opportunities and barriers to innovation (and successful implementation) aimed at enhancing resilience and improving our environment in New Zealand. We will include examples of physical, social, economic, and governance approaches emerging from best practice in New Zealand and overseas, as well as new knowledge being generated in research through programmes such as our National Science Challenges, Resilience to Nature’s Challenges and Building Better Homes, Towns & Cities.

Bio | Stephanie Brown MEIANZ CEnvP

Stephanie has a diverse career in environmental management having worked in science at NIWA and now as an environmental planner at Opus International Consultants. Core areas of work are focused around consenting and consulting on infrastructure projects for local authorities and government departments and strategy studies. She has an interest in collaborative approaches as a way of achieving improved environmental outcomes.

She is a member of EIANZ and a Certified Environmental Practitioner.