Experts say the bill will only continue to rise as climate change worsens, unless the nation makes urgent changes to how it funds climate adaptation. Photo: RNZSince its election in 2023, the government has removed or reduced most forms of dedicated climate adaptation and resilience funding. The government also dismantled a $6 billion national resilience fund created after Cyclone Gabrielle, arguing resilience spending should instead be assessed through standard Budget processes. Planned adaptation actions quietly discontinuedThe policy framework intended to guide climate adaptation has also been scaled back. These included guidance for central government policymakers on incorporating climate risk into decision-making, updated methodologies for local climate risk assessments, and a framework for councils to identify when areas should be protected, redesigned or retreated from as risks escalate over time.