Climate change in the NZ media

I did a Google search for articles linking 'drought', 'climate change' and 'New Zealand'. I found this one article – it dates back to 2005!!

Frequent droughts for farmers as climate change hits

NZ Herald,

17 June, 2005

The risk of severe droughts capable of crippling farmers and horticulturists could increase fourfold in eastern New Zealand over the next 75 years.

Some regions which are already drought-prone - such as Marlborough - could see what is today considered a one-in-20-year drought occurring every three to five years by the 2080s, says a National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research report released by Cabinet minister Pete Hodgson, who chairs the Cabinet's climate change committee.

"Climate change poses a direct threat to New Zealand's environment, way of life and economy," he said yesterday.

The report said that drought usually had the largest impacts of any national or international calamity on New Zealand's economy......