Landslide Planning Guidance

Reducing landslide risk through land-use planning

de Vilder SJ, Kelly SD, Buxton R, Allan S, Glassey PJ. 2024. Landslide Planning Guidance. Reducing landslide risk through land-use planning. Lower Hutt (NZ): GNS Science 77 p (GNS Scicence miscellaneous series; 144). doi:10.21420/R2X8-FJ49

Landslides have killed more people in New Zealand than any other geological hazard combined and have resulted in significant property, infrastructure, environmental damage and social disruption. The risk from landslide hazard will only increase with climate change and landslide damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and preceding storms in 2023 was a testament to this.

As part of the EILD Endeavour Research programme GNS Science, guided by a steering committee, has produced guidance for planners to reduce landslide risk through land-use planning, endorsed by Toka Tū Ake EQC and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and the New Zealand Geotechnical Society. The Ministry for the Environment (MfE) and the New Zealand Planning Institute (NZPI) also contributed.

The guidance strongly emphasises the need to incorporate landslide risk early in the land-use planning decision-making process to avoid costly and potentially dangerous new developments that could pose a risk to the people, property and environment.

While this guidance is primarily for planning, policy and consenting roles in local government, it will be useful for infrastructure and asset managers, consultants, developers as well as professionals providing landslide susceptibility, hazard and risk advice.

We hope this guidance influences early consultation with geotechnical experts to ensure landuse appropriate for activities they can safely sustain and, where needed, measures are taken to mitigate, reduce or avoid landslide hazards. At a minimum, the guidance recommends districts develop a landslide susceptibility map to better inform important decisions that determine where and how we live.

The guidance is electronic only but is formatted so it can be printed in book form. It will be updated periodically as new legislation is enacted or new research requires amendment of the guidance

-> The guidance can be downloaded using this link