The Insurance Council of New Zealand has urged the next government to prioritise climate adaptation, resilience projects and funding to reduce exposure to natural hazards.

CEO Kris Faafoi welcomed the acknowledgment of growing climate risks during a TV debate between National Party leader and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Labour’s Chris Hipkins, but he says practical action is needed.

“New Zealand has spent a lot of time talking about the problem,” he said. “The next government must pivot to action to reduce risk for New Zealand’s communities that are the most vulnerable to natural hazard ... That means investing in flood protection and other resilience infrastructure, making better planning decisions and avoiding further development in high-risk areas.

“It also means facing difficult decisions about how and where communities develop.

“Long-term funding is critical. Communities and councils need certainty to plan and invest in resilience and adaptation measures that reduce risk.”

An ICNZ survey of more than 1000 New Zealanders found less than half believe politicians take the risks posed by extreme weather seriously. About 90% want political parties to work together on solutions.

More than two-thirds of respondents expect flood, landslide and coastal inundation risks to be a significant challenge for future governments, and a similar proportion believe natural hazard risks affect property insurance premiums.

Since a similar survey was carried out by ICNZ a year ago, support has grown for action to reduce the risk of insurance becoming unavailable.

“We need to invest ahead of events, strengthen vulnerable infrastructure and bring government, councils, insurers and banks, and communities together around a durable national approach,” Mr Faafoi said.

New Zealand’s general election is on November 7.