Auckland Councillor Kerrin Leoni is raising concerns about ongoing home construction on flood-prone land following Cyclone Tam last week.
She is pushing for the government to grant councils more power to reject risky developments and criticises current mayor Wayne Brown for not taking more decisive action.
Leoni, a mayoral candidate, highlights the city’s struggle to recover from Cyclone Gabrielle, which cost $2 billion in home buyouts.
Leoni insists councils must use updated climate data to protect communities from future disasters.
RNZ reports that 15 per cent of last year’s new building consents were in floodplains.
