. Councils told to plan for sea level rises Wednesday,30 July 2008 Councils are being told to plan for coastal flooding,storm surges and erosion as rising sea levels driven by climate change take hold. A new guide for councils issued by the Environment Ministry is aimed at helping councils to plan for the effects of rising sea levels. Rising sea levels are expected to cause storm inundation and coastal erosion,especially on the eastern coasts,Cook Strait and Wellington. [...]