Buyouts to end in 20 years, panel recommends

Homeowners whose houses are flooded or damaged by weather events should not expect buy-outs in the future, a panel of experts has recommended to the government. An independent reference group set up by the Ministry for the Environment released a suite of recommendations on Wednesday to help the government shape climate adaptation legislation. The group recommended a 20-year transition period, after which homeowners whose houses are flooded or damaged by weather events should not expect buy-outs. Emile Donovan speaks to Victoria University's chair of the school of government Professor Jonathan Boston about the consequences of any policy change.