Adapting to climate change

What does climate change mean for your community?

Climate change is already impacting our moana and our coastlines. Over the next 30 years sea levels are projected to further increase by 35cm, and ocean temperatures by 1 degree centigrade. Our seas are also becoming more acidic.

What will this mean for the things we value?

Communities will need to make decisions on how they adapt to coastal hazards, like permanent sea level rise, coastal flooding and inundation. In doing so they will need to consider what is at risk and how to adapt.

What is involved?

Some communities have taken their own initiative to start looking at how climate change will impact them, while others are yet to start. Council wants each community to consider how best to adapt.

This may require forming a community group or maybe the groups already exist. This involves talking about what you value and understanding what is at risk. This means gaining new insight and considering different climate change scenarios. This will involve collaboration and discussion across the community.

The goal is for each community to develop a plan for how to adapt.

How can Council help?

Council will provide support for establishing each community plan via the adaptive pathways planning method. This provides communities with an opportunity to shape decisions on how we respond to the changing climate. Opportunities in the future will be open for community members to be involved in this process.