Date: |
21 Sep 2026, 6.00PM – 7.30PM |
duration: |
1 hr 30 mins |
Venue: |
Ngaio Marsh Theatre, Haere-roa UCSA, University of Canterbury |
Address: |
90 Ilam Road Christchurch |
Cost: |
Free event |
In his Hopkins lecture, “Living with Landslides in a Changing Climate,” Ross will draw on recent research and his experience responding to major landslide events to explore how and why landslides occur, what climate science tells us about changing risk, and what we can learn from Auckland’s experience during Cyclone Gabrielle.
The lecture will also look at how advances in engineering, geoscience, hazard mapping and monitoring are helping us better understand and manage land stability. Ross will consider some of the difficult questions that sit beyond engineering - including public policy, economics and community values - and what it means to build resilience while living with an inherently unstable landscape.
Ross is a chartered engineer and professional engineering geologist with over twenty years' experience in the management, planning and supervision of geotechnical and civil engineering projects. He has worked on projects including major highway construction, railway asset management, water pipeline scheme assessments, landslide assessment and remediation, microtunneling and bridge foundation design.
His focus as Auckland Council's Chief Engineer is on natural hazards, resilience and engineering efficiency. He works part-time in Auckland Emergency Management as a Lifeline Utility Coordinator and leads teams responsible for natural hazard risk and asset management. Ross is a past chair of the New Zealand Geotechnical Society and represents New Zealand on the Council of the International Association for Engineering Geology and the Environment. He has recently completed two years leading the geotechnical response to the 2023 North Island Severe Weather Events, which included the categorisation and purchase of over a thousand homes at intolerable risk from flooding and landslides.
Join Ross Roberts, Chief Engineer at Auckland Council, to explore how landslides shape New Zealand’s landscape and what increasing rainfall under climate change means for future risk.
In his Hopkins lecture, “Living with Landslides in a Changing Climate,” Ross will draw on recent research and his experience responding to major landslide events to explore how and why landslides occur, what climate science tells us about changing risk, and what we can learn from Auckland’s experience during Cyclone Gabrielle.
The lecture will also look at how advances in engineering, geoscience, hazard mapping and monitoring are helping us better understand and manage land stability. Ross will consider some of the difficult questions that sit beyond engineering - including public policy, economics and community values - and what it means to build resilience while living with an inherently unstable landscape.
Ross is a chartered engineer and professional engineering geologist with over twenty years' experience in the management, planning and supervision of geotechnical and civil engineering projects. He has worked on projects including major highway construction, railway asset management, water pipeline scheme assessments, landslide assessment and remediation, microtunneling and bridge foundation design.
His focus as Auckland Council's Chief Engineer is on natural hazards, resilience and engineering efficiency. He works part-time in Auckland Emergency Management as a Lifeline Utility Coordinator and leads teams responsible for natural hazard risk and asset management. Ross is a past chair of the New Zealand Geotechnical Society and represents New Zealand on the Council of the International Association for Engineering Geology and the Environment. He has recently completed two years leading the geotechnical response to the 2023 North Island Severe Weather Events, which included the categorisation and purchase of over a thousand homes at intolerable risk from flooding and landslides.
Presenters
Canterbury Branch
