A new resource to assist Australian councils with climate risk assessment and planning was launched this month in NSW by the City of Canada Bay Mayor, Angelo Tsirekas.
The resource Climate Adaptation Manual for Local Government: Embedding Resilience to Climate Change was developed by the Australian Centre of Excellence for Local Government (ACELG) at UTS and partner councils from all Australian states.
In launching the report, Mayor Tsirekas said the City of Canada Bay recognises the challenges and impacts of climate change on Australia.
“Our commitment to the environment starts at the top with innovative strategies, developing partnerships and working together with key stakeholders to realise this vision,” he said.
“We are proud to have played an important role in developing this manual in collaboration with Australian Centre of Excellence for Local Government and a number of other councils around Australia, and I am confident the manual will become a practical tool for other local governments to make practical and important changes to protect their environments and communities.”
The Manual highlights leading case studies and practical resources from Australian councils and overseas. It is a useful resource for council staff involved in climate risk assessment and planning such as asset managers, strategic planners, and corporate and community services staff.
A step-by-step framework for effectively embedding climate risk into council operations is also included in the Manual.
ACELG and CLG Director Associate Professor Roberta Ryan reiterated Mayor Tsirekas’ comments:
“This resource addresses a gap about translating existing research about climate change into practical guidance for the benefit of all councils locally. A concerted local capacity is vital to respond to and lead communities about adapting to climate change, and I congratulate the partner councils on their involvement in the project- their support has been invaluable,” said Associate Prof Ryan.
The release of the Manual is timely. Findings from the 2014 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report suggest efforts by the Australian public sector in building capacity to respond have been strong yet there are differences in methods and a ‘weakness’ in translating goals into specific policies. The IPCC report also suggests that the absence of a consistent information base and guidelines that ‘clarify governing principles and liabilities’ is a challenge for some Australian councils (p.10, Chapter 25)
The ACELG Climate Adaptation Manual aims to contribute to the remedying of some of these challenges.
This was an ACELG Research Partnership Scheme project, with the involvement of and participation of twenty councils across the country. ACELG and the project partners welcome feedback about this new resource and encourage local governments across the country to consider its use.