A new report into managing the impact of seas level rise has been released by the Local Government Association of South Australia (LGASA) and the Coast Protection Board.
The report, Defining the Sea Level Rise Problem in South Australia, was co-funded by the State Government, Local Government Association and the Coast Protection Board and is part of South Australia’s partnership approach to climate change.
Queensland Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney has intervened to force the removal of all references to climate change-derived sea level rises from the regional plan of Moreton Bay Regional Council, a decision experts say could have wide ramifications.
The NSW Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) has released projections for future changes in temperature, rainfall and other climate variables. The projections have been prepared in conjunction with the ACT Government and the Climate Change Research Centre at the University of NSW.
The fine-scale projections are designed to help local government, business and the community to build resilience in the face of future extreme events and hazards by helping them to understand the impacts of climate change and better manage risk in their local areas.
A new book written by an American geologist and an Irish professor of coastal studies argues that the world’s beaches are at risk of extinction.
The Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists has released a report titled Blueprint for a Healthy Environment and a Productive Economy which calls on the Federal Government for tax reforms including eliminating fossil fuel subsidies and giving tax incentives to landowners to restore and protect environmental assets.
The group claims the tax reforms will ensure a productive economy and a healthy environment over the long term.
The Global Change Institute at the University of Queensland has developed a tool to help coastal councils more accurately predict the impact of rising sea levels.
A new report by the Climate Council warns that rising sea levels and coastal flooding are likely to place coastal infrastructure worth up to $226bn at risk.
The report, titled Counting the Costs: Climate Change and Coastal Flooding, notes that Australia is highly vulnerable to increasing flooding because our cities, towns and critical infrastructure are mainly located on the coast.
Councils should continue to assume that climate change is real and its impacts will become more pronounced with time, according to a review by independent consultants of the latest science on sea level, legal opinions and NSW Government advice.
A report published by the University College, London, has called for a professional body to help scientists communicate more effectively with non-scientists.
Research commissioned by the Climate Institute and the consumer group CHOICE warns that homebuyers could face big increases in insurance premiums and reduced property values due to the increased risk of extreme weather events and climate change.