Clarenceʹs adaptation journey

The coastal communities of Clarence were increasingly concerned at the continual foreshore erosion and flooding which was occurring in their communities. Uncertainty surrounding the impacts of climate change through rising sea levels and severe storm events was of most concern to local residents. Council embarked on a program to assess these vulnerable locations and the resultant Integrated Assessment Report has provided Council with direction to act upon these concerns. Erosion hazard mapping based on 5 scenarios (present day, 2050 high & low and 2 100 high &low) and inundation mapping indicating the impact of rising sea levels for present day, 2050 and 2100 have been embedded into Councilʹs Planning Scheme. This provides a framework for developers and Council to account for potential impacts of climate change when planning development. The Integrated Assessment Report also provides recommended adaptive actions for Council to assess and consider for implementation. The Report identified 4 highly vulnerable locations and these have been Councilʹs focus over past years when implementing the recommendations. This paper describes the journey taken by Clarence City Council from the initial community concerns through to implementation of adaptation treatments.