Chapter 7 Homes, buildings and places

The plan was published in 2022. Some actions in the plan were amended in January 2025 as part of the Government's response to the Climate Change Commission's national adaptation plan progress report. These updates reflect changes in circumstances since the plan was published, and align with the Government’s climate strategy.

See the response and updated table of actions for more details.

Climate change affects our homes, buildings and places, but where and how we build can help us adapt.

Homes, buildings and places* are the foundation of our communities. They include the physical environment around us, the people in that environment and the interaction between the two.

The form, design and characteristics of our homes, buildings and places play a vital role in our health, wellbeing and quality of life.

* In the context of this outcome area, ‘places’ refers to urban or rural areas, ranging from neighbourhoods to towns and regions. Adaptation must address both the physical elements of a place (eg, homes, buildings, infrastructure and spaces around them) and the social elements (eg, the identity of people and communities, cultural value).

The actions in this chapter address the following significant risk identified in the National Climate Change Risk Assessment 2020:

• B2: Risks to buildings due to extreme weather events, drought, increased fire weather and ongoing sea‑level rise.

These actions also address:

• H5: Risks to Māori social, cultural, spiritual and economic wellbeing from loss and degradation of lands and waters, as well as cultural assets such as marae, due to ongoing sea-level rise, changes in rainfall and drought
• H8: Risks to Māori and European cultural heritage sites due to projected ongoing sea-level rise, extreme weather events and increasing fire weather.

Most of our existing homes and buildings were located without ongoing climate change in mind and built to perform under climate conditions at the time. However, as the climate changes, an increasing number of those homes and buildings are at risk of becoming less liveable or being damaged or destroyed.

For example, a warmer, wetter climate may affect the durability of building materials and the lifespan of homes and buildings. This could include an increased risk of damage due to coastal erosion, or of subsidence during intense rainfall and coastal storm surges.

Damage to existing housing stock from climate change could have knock-on effects for the country’s housing supply. It could further reduce the supply and affordability of housing, weaken social cohesion and prevent communities from growing. It could also reduce access to good-quality housing for tenants, individuals (particularly women) and whānau experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

A threat to our cultural heritage

Climate change presents risks to culture, cultural heritage, traditional knowledge and ways of life. Cultural heritage includes historic sites, structures, places and areas; archaeological sites; sites of significance to Māori, including wāhi tapu; and cultural landscapes. Many communities will face challenges in activities such as documenting and conserving their cultural heritage and managing their cultural infrastructure.

Stresses on Māori, iwi and hapū

Climate hazards can affect homes and buildings on whenua Māori, and threaten the unique cultural and spiritual connection Māori have to whenua.

Whenua Māori and land returned through the Treaty settlement process is often on coastal fringes and lowland areas exposed to flooding, erosion and sedimentation.

Many significant cultural sites, such as marae, urupā, ancient gardens and healing places, are also along coastlines or near flood-prone rivers.

Resilient homes, buildings and places allow us to thrive.

The Government has identified four objectives to help make our homes, buildings and places resilient to the changing climate and support people and communities to thrive.

Table 6: Government objectives to build resilient homes, buildings and places

As shown in table 7 below, the actions critical to achieving the objectives relating to homes, buildings and places are set out in chapter 3: Enabling better risk-informed decisions, chapter 4: Driving climate-resilient development in the right locations and chapter 5: Adaptation options including managed retreat. These the actions work together to increase the resilience of our homes, buildings and places.

Table 7: Actions related to homes, buildings and places are located throughout the national adaptation plan

For example, action 4.1: Resource management reform is a critical enabling action to ensure our objectives for homes, buildings and places are met. It will:

• support effective spatial planning by directing growth to the most appropriate locations
• provide an opportunity to ensure planning decisions are informed by hazard risk assessments, and that our planning decisions do not continue to increase the exposure of homes and buildings to climate-related hazards
• set out a framework to manage retreat and relocate communities, homes and buildings where risks are seen as intolerable.

Action 5.7: Reduce and manage the impacts of climate hazards on homes and buildings is critical because it will provide the information, research and guidance needed to inform New Zealanders about risks to the property they own or rent. This will also inform other actions:

• action 3.22: Work with community housing providers to enable effective climate hazard response
• action 3.25: Design methodology for risk assessments of public buildings
• action 7.4: Updates to regulatory requirements to ensure buildings are designed and constructed to withstand more extreme climate conditions
• action 7.5: Update housing and urban settings, which will help ensure the built environment is designed to cope with a changing climate.

The Government will ensure funding and investment decisions for housing and urban development consider climate-related hazards through the following actions:

• action 4.3: Establish an initiative for resilient public housing
• action 4.4: Embed adaptation in funding models for housing and urban development, including Māori housing
• action 5.16: Identify options to increase the integration of nature-based solutions into urban form.

It will also support kaitiaki communities to adapt and conserve taonga and cultural assets (action 5.8), which will work alongside the following actions:

• action 3.26: Produce guidance for disaster risk management for cultural heritage
• action 3.27: Develop a framework for assessing exposure and vulnerability of taonga/cultural assets to climate change
• action 7.1: Research how cultural heritage contributes to community wellbeing and climate change adaptation.

The Government will partner with Māori to increase the resilience of Māori-owned land, homes and cultural sites (action 7.2), and to support Māori-led approaches to adaptation planning (action 7.3).

Addressing inequity

Resilient homes, buildings and places for vulnerable communities.

Well-performing homes and buildings are essential to the social, economic and cultural wellbeing of New Zealanders. The impact of climate hazards on homes, buildings and places can be devastating for those affected. Climate hazards can cause injuries, loss of life, loss of possessions and disruption to businesses and services. Individuals, businesses and communities can incur costs related to moving out of homes and buildings and of cleaning up or repairing damage. These impacts can have a long-term effect on wellbeing. They will be especially difficult for disadvantaged communities to overcome, and there is a risk that existing inequities will be exacerbated if that difficulty is not addressed.

For this reason, it is critical that adapting our homes and buildings to be resilient, be fair, equitable and inclusive and helps our most vulnerable communities thrive.

The actions outlined in this chapter aim to ensure we can support New Zealanders to continue to enjoy healthy, safe and well-functioning places to live, work and come together as a community. This means focusing on supporting already vulnerable communities, such as public and community housing tenants.

Actions will also ensure we do not lock in or exacerbate future impacts on communities, such as accessibility issues, and that we manage potential impacts of regulatory change. The Government is committed to working in partnership with Māori to support adaptation for Māori, by Māori.

Future proposed work programmes

Action 7.1: Research how cultural heritage contributes to community wellbeing and climate change adaptation

Timeframe: Years 1–4 (2022–26)
Lead agency: MCH
Relevant portfolio: Culture and Heritage
Primarily supports: Objective HBP4
Status: Proposed

This research will look at the value of cultural heritage in building and sustaining communities, and how this links to community resilience and wellbeing.

Action 7.2: Partner with Māori landowners to increase the resilience of Māori-owned land, homes and cultural sites

Timeframe: Years 1–4 (2022–26)
Lead agency: HUD
Relevant portfolio: Māori Housing
Primarily supports: Objective HBP3
Status: Proposed

This work will be progressed in partnership with Māori landowners to produce resources and tools to improve understanding of climate-related risks and increase the resilience of housing on Māori land. It will promote mātauranga Māori and increase the resilience of Māori-owned land, homes and cultural sites. As this work progresses, it may link to action 4.1: Reform the resource management system.

Action 7.3: Partner with Māori to support Māori-led approaches to adaptation planning

Timeframe: Years 3–4 (2024–26)
Lead agency: HUD
Relevant portfolio: Māori Housing
Primarily supports: Objective HBP3
Status: Proposed

This work will be progressed in partnership with Māori to support Māori-led adaptation planning – for example, in the new resource management system. This will support Māori-led adaptation solutions and the use of mātauranga Māori and Māori urban design principles in response to climate hazards. It will also promote Māori-led planning and support the adaptation of places managed by whānau, hapū and iwi.

Action 7.4: Update regulatory requirements to ensure buildings are designed and constructed to withstand more extreme climate hazards

Timeframe: Years 3–6 (2024–28)
Lead agency: MBIE
Relevant portfolio: Building and Construction
Primarily supports: HBP1
Status: Proposed

Updated forward-looking climate data and modelling (action 3.2: Design and develop risk and resilience and climate adaptation information portals) will be used to:

• update Building Code performance requirements
• identify and add climate hazards not currently in the Building Code
• produce guidance and tools to help people meet new performance requirements.

This action will improve the quality of buildings and make them more resilient to future climate impacts. It will also consider costs and distributional impacts, and explore regulatory changes that could support the adaptation of existing buildings. Action 7.6 Manage potential impacts of adaption related to regulatory change will support those communities that are most impacted by this regulatory change.

Action 7.5: Update housing and urban settings

Timeframe: Years 3–6 (2024–28)
Lead agency: HUD
Relevant portfolio: Housing
Primarily supports: Objective HBP2
Status: Proposed

Current strategies, programmes and regulations will be reviewed to ensure housing and urban environments are fit for the changing climate. For example, this could lead to updated requirements for homeowners and landlords, or for public and community housing. This will be informed by later actions to reduce and manage the impacts of climate hazards on homes and buildings (action 5.7), and identify options to increase the integration of nature-based solutions into urban form (action 5.16).

This action will help ensure the built environment is designed and planned to cope with extreme events and the changing climate. It will also help ensure rules about the quality of private and public housing and tenancies consider climate change and remain fit for purpose.

Action 7.6: Manage potential impacts of adaptation related to regulatory change

Timeframe: Years 5–6 (2026–28)
Lead agency: MBIE
Relevant portfolio: Building and Construction
Primarily supports: Objective HBP1
Status: Proposed

Vulnerable communities, such as those living along the coast or those with low incomes, may require additional support to adapt their homes and buildings. The Government will monitor the effects of action 5.7: Reduce and manage the impacts of climate hazards on homes and buildings and action 7.4: Update regulatory requirements to ensure buildings are designed and constructed to withstand more extreme climate hazards to identify who these regulatory changes may adversely affect.

Future actions could include advice or guidance to support local initiatives, and offering incentives. These actions will also consider the distributional impacts from emissions reductions.

This action will address negative impacts of regulatory changes for buildings, and manage barriers to adaptation by the public.

Other actions across this plan will contribute to resilient homes, buildings and places

A range of other actions will support the resilience of homes, buildings and places, including the following.

• System-wide reforms will encourage a long-term and proactive view to account for climate change. Actions that improve data and information and provide tools and guidance will inform and incorporate data and information about reducing and managing the impacts of climate hazards on homes and buildings (action 5.7: Reduce and manage the impacts of climate hazards on homes and buildings).
• Natural environment actions (chapter 6) to strengthen ecosystems and promote indigenous knowledge will complement actions to increase the resilience of homes, buildings and places that are alongside the natural environment or include natural sites.
• Infrastructure (chapter 8) plays a key role by connecting communities and places and allowing for goods and services to be distributed. It also supports new development and housing, and helps communities to thrive. For example, action 3.8: Develop guidance for assessing risk and impact on physical assets and the services they provide will support the adaptation of transport and energy networks. That, in turn, will complement the design methodology for risk assessments of public buildings, which includes a focus on social infrastructure, such as schools, hospitals and other public assets.
• A number of actions for communities (chapter 9: Communities) will increase social cohesion. This will help communities to identify climate hazards, including those relevant to homes, buildings and places. For example, action 3.6: Improve natural hazard information on Land Information Memoranda (LIMs) will raise awareness of climate hazards at the property level.
• The actions on insurance availability and affordability (see chapter 10: Economy and financial system) will consider options to keep insurance for homes and buildings available and affordable. This will support recovery after extreme weather events.