CLIMATE, PLANNING: New report – National Sea Change Taskforce Planning for Climate Change Research Report

The Planning for Climate Change research report notes that coastal areas are exposed to particular risks associated with climate change and these risks represent a range of social and economic consequences for coastal communities which are exacerbated by existing socio-economic disadvantage and an aging population profile.

The research team found that while climate change is increasingly recognised by Commonwealth and State governments in Australia as a critical issue for coastal communities, few local planning schemes include specific provisions for climate change adaptation or mitigation, apart from controls relating to sea level rise in Western Australia and South Australia. The report makes a number of recommendations to enhance practice in planning for climate change across sea change communities in coastal Australia.