By RNZ
There are fears for the site of Nelson's new $44 million library after recent data shows the region's coastline is subsiding at double the rate of sea-level rise.
Nelson city councillor Rachel Sanson said the proposed new library site beside the Maitai River was a vulnerable location - subject to coastal inundation, river flooding and liquefaction.
Data from the NZ SeaRise programme shows many parts of the country are slowly sinking and will have more impacts within the next two decades, rather than by 2060 as previously thought.
Nelson Marlborough is among the fastest sinking areas: Nelson's coastline is subsiding at about 2mm-5mm per year.