Climate Change Adaptation Planning with Peri-Urban Local Government in Victoria, Australia

Abstract

Climate change presents many challenges for local government in Victoria, Australia. In the Macedon Ranges local government area the future climate is likely to include more hot days, less rainfall and run-off and increased frequency and intensity of extreme events such as drought, fl ash fl ooding and wildfi re. The purpose of this project was to identify, analyse and evaluate climate change risks and develop an adaptation plan that would assist the Macedon Ranges Shire Council on the outskirts of Melbourne begin to plan for likely impacts arising from climate change.The development of the adaptation plan employed a best practice risk management approach in line with AS/NZS 31000:2009 and AS 5334:2013 and took and whole-of-council approach. Undertaking a risk assessment approach to climate change adaptation planning for a peri-urban local government area was successful. The approach assisted council to build capacity in climate change, adaptation and the process of undertaking a risk assessment and defi ne their area of operation, infl uence and responsibility in regards to adaptation actions and the role of other external stakeholders. Further, it helped them to integrate the risks and associated adaptation options directly into the existing risk register system and understand the relativity of climate risks to non-climate risks that the council faces, such as land use change, increasing proportions of absentee landholders and an ageing demographic.