Tanya Lees from the group Kāpiti CALM (Calm Alarming Law Madness) said people were worried insurance companies would use the report as an excuse to refuse to cover their homes.

Sorry Tanya, the insurance companies don't need a publicly funded report. They are already consulting with (the same) experts, they will set their rates as they see fit.

Also from Tanya

There are a lot of people, a lot of experts, who do not agree with this,

Who are these experts? People yes, because they have an emotional and financial investment, but experts...not very likely.

This is a strange way to think

Salima Padamsey from Coastal Ratepayers United said the panel's report should be taken as an advisory - nothing more.

"Council never vested the advisory committee with any statutory authority under the Resource Management Act.

"The committee's mandate did not encompass providing expert perspectives on policy matters.

When has an advisory committee ever been vested with powers, the clue is in the name...they are to advise. That last bit about "providing expert perspective" is so strange. One would hope that; when spending public money; only expert opinion would be sought, what is the other option? Just some random off the street?