Climate Change Risk and Adaptation Strategy 2018/19 - 2021/22 A clean, green and sustainable community 2021 ...
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Climate Change Risk and Adaptation Strategy 2018/19 - 2021/22 A clean, green and sustainable community
Clean, green and sustainable
Contents
Introduction 5
Section 1 – Background 7
Definition of Adaptation 7
Definition of Resilience 7
Strategy development 9
Department of Health and Human Services
and Resilient Melbourne Support 10
Policy context 11
Section 2 – What the evidence revealed 13
Heat, Heatwaves and the Urban Heat Island Effect –
Monash University Research 5
Identification of climate change risks 16
Themes 18
Impacts and effects 19
How Council will manage identified risks 24
Section 3 – What you told us 25
Breakdown of the Maroondah climate 25
Section 4 – A strategy for the future 27
A vision for a more climate adapted Maroondah 27
Strategic framework 27
Outcome Area 1 – People 28
Our achievements so far 28
What we will do 28
What the evidence tells us 28
What the community told us 29
Focus Areas 29
Key Directions 29
Climate Change Risk and Adaptation Strategy 3
Clean, green and sustainable
Contents
Outcome Area 2 – Places 30
Our achievements so far 30
What we will do 30
What the evidence tells us 30
What the community has told us 31
Focus Areas 31
Key Directions 32
Outcome Area 3 – Embed adaptation 34
Our achievements so far 34
What we will do 34
What the evidence tells us 34
What the community has told us 35
Focus Areas 35
Key Directions 35
Section 5 – Tracking progress 36
Section 6 – References 37
Section 7 – Glossary 39
Appendix A 42
Appendix B 43
4 Climate Change Risk and Adaptation Strategy
Introduction
This Climate Change Risk and Adaptation
Strategy outlines how Maroondah City
Council and partners will work towards a
more climate adapted Maroondah.
Building on work already undertaken by Council, it draws on a solid evidence base heavily
informed by stakeholder engagement and the latest climate science including projections
from the Bureau of Meteorology and the national science body, CSIRO, as well as
vulnerability information to inform climate change adaptation planning.
The Strategy has at its heart an ethos that the best and most cost-effective approach for
climate change adaptation is embedding relevant actions into Council’s existing service
delivery. It includes key directions that will help Council to manage identified risks and
provide co-benefits.
The Strategy has four overarching objectives:
1. P
lan for and manage the risks of climate change, in particular, drainage and extreme
weather events.
2. S
eek opportunities for partnerships and collaboration with stakeholders and the
community that support climate change adaptation.
3. Use the natural environment to build our adaptive capacity – while a risk itself, the
natural environment can also be used to help in climate change management.
4. Encourage future proofing design – foster places capable of adapting to change and
responding to current and future risks.
The Strategy also identifies 42 climate change risks to Council. It includes 25 key directions
to assist Council to move towards achieving a climate adapted Maroondah. The
preparation of a detailed Action Plan will complement these.
Climate Change Risk and Adaptation Strategy 5
Clean, green and sustainable
Acknowledgements
The invaluable contributions of the following are acknowledged in the preparation of this
Strategy:
• Maroondah councillors and staff, the Strategic Asset Management Working Group, the
Risk Management Advisory Group
• The Maroondah Environment Advisory Committee comprising the following members:
• Cr Marijke Graham
• Cr Paul Macdonald
• Cr Samantha Marks
• Moya Brown
• Ellen Mitchell
• Dr Graeme Lorimer
• Patricia Donati
• Ken Whitney
• Fiona Ede
• Liz Sanzaro
• Pam Yarra
• Maroondah residents and community groups including:
• First Friends of Dandenong Creek
• Transition Towns Maroondah
• Heathmont Bushcare
• The Eastern Alliance for Greenhouse Action
• The Western Alliance for Greenhouse Action
• The Department of Health and Human Services
(Community Sector Climate Resilience Program)
• Resilient Melbourne (Resilient Melbourne Program)
• The Port Phillip and Westernport Catchment Management Authority.
6 Climate Change Risk and Adaptation Strategy
Section 1: Background
Council has been pursuing responses to
climate change for many years and has
made significant progress in avoiding and
reducing greenhouse gas emissions (i.e.
climate change mitigation) through
implementation of its Carbon Neutral
Strategy & Action Plan adopted by
Council in 2015. However, no matter how
quickly we reduce emissions, some
changes to our climate are already
‘locked in’.
Climate change adaptation means changing the way we behave and doing things more
appropriate for the future climate. Adapting and building resilience to climate change and
the overall health and wellbeing of the community are important issues for local
government. Council’s operations, assets and service delivery provided to the community
is vulnerable to a range of climate hazards such as heatwaves and flooding.
Definition of Adaptation
Adaptation is action taken to prepare for actual or expected changes in the climate, in
order to minimise harm, act on opportunities or cope with the consequences.
Climate Change Act 2017
Definition of Resilience
100 Resilient Cities – Pioneered by the Rockefeller Foundation (100RC) defines urban
resilience as the capacity of individuals, institutions, businesses and systems within a
city to adapt, survive and thrive no matter what kind of chronic stresses and acute
shocks they experience.
(City of Melbourne, 2016)
www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/SiteCollectionDocuments/resilient-melbourne-strategy.pdf
Climate Change Risk and Adaptation Strategy 7
Clean, green and sustainable
The following provides further Maroondah context about why managing climate change is
important:
• Impact of the January 2009 heatwave An effective response to managing the risk
and Black Saturday Bushfires in of climate change requires climate change
Melbourne’s east demonstrated the risks mitigation and climate change adaptation.
that can arise from multiple climatic Council is strongly committed to both. This
stressors occurring at once. Strategy has a focus on climate change
• Intense major storm events occurred in adaptation.
2010, 2011 and 2016, which caused A partnership approach is key as adaptation
localised flooding. is a shared responsibility. Local government
• Due to the 10-year Millennium Drought together with other areas of government,
through to 2010, Council substantially business, community organisations and
reduced its use of irrigation for gardens individuals are actively addressing the
and open spaces notwithstanding the impacts of climate change on our
provision of water to sporting grounds is municipality.
important to keep soils moist and to
This Strategy lays out a plan of action for
prevent injuries.
the next four years enabling Council to
• Maroondah is expected to grow from an prepare for the long-term risks of climate
estimated residential population of change. It will guide Council’s efforts to
114,979 in 2016 to 133,526 by 2036. integrate climate change risk management
• The area is a substantially developed and adaptation.
peri-urban residential municipality, where
future population growth will be mainly
stimulated by housing consolidation and
medium density development. This
growth needs to be responsive to the
challenges of climate change.
• Growth in culturally and linguistically
diverse (CALD) communities such as the
Burmese community.
8 Climate Change Risk and Adaptation Strategy
Strategy development
Development of this Strategy was a Eastern Alliance for Greenhouse
collaborative effort between Council and Action Roadmap - Key Points
the community. Council received strong
The EAGA Roadmap revealed that there
input from the Maroondah Environment
are many good reasons for councils to
Advisory Committee which was established
incorporate adaptation into their
in 2014 to advise Council on environmental
decision-making. These include:
and sustainability issues. It comprises
councillors and community representatives • Rising insurance premiums and liability
with environmental expertise. issues
Input was also obtained from the Eastern • Financial sustainability; small
Alliance for Greenhouse Action (EAGA) of investments today will avoid larger costs
which Council is a member. EAGA is a in the future
formal collaboration of eight Councils in • Strong community expectations that
Melbourne’s east, working together on local government is preparing for
regional programs that reduce greenhouse climate change
gas emissions and facilitate regional
adaptation. Part of EAGA’s charter is to • The multiple benefits of adaptation
assist Council’s to work together to facilitate responses such as improved health and
regional mitigation and adaptation. wellbeing, lower energy bills and lower
maintenance costs
In particular, in 2014, staff from a range of
Council service areas participated in • Existing climate impacts are already
workshops for the Climate Change more frequent and intense than previous
Adaptation Roadmap for Melbourne’s East: decades.
A guide for decision makers in the EAGA
Councils. This Guide was informed by a In addition, a “Climate Futures” report was
regional climate risk assessment, and commissioned for the EAGA in 2013 and
identified priority actions to address the was undertaken by the CSIRO. It projected
impacts on climate change on Council that the “most likely climate future” for
operations, assets and service delivery eastern Melbourne includes increasingly
responsibilities as outlined in the Roadmap. drier and hotter climatic conditions with
Priority regional actions were identified with increasing intensity of rainfall events likely
member councils subsequently undertaking in summer and autumn seasons. As the
actions in their own municipalities. This intensity, severity and duration of extreme
Strategy has subsequently been prepared in weather events increases, enhancing the
accordance with the Roadmap. resilience of operations, assets and service
delivery will become more important.
Image 1: Council employees at an EAGA Climate Change Roadshow in August 2014
Climate Change Risk and Adaptation Strategy 9
Clean, green and sustainable
Department of Health and Human Services and Resilient
Melbourne support
In 2016 and 2017, Council participated in the Other opportunities Council participated in
Community Sector Climate Resilience included the Resilient Melbourne Program.
Program run by the Department of Health Resilient Melbourne marks an important
and Human Services (DHHS). point in Melbourne’s development. It
prepared Melbourne’s first resilience
The Program provided facilitated resilience
strategy, a starting point that brings
planning assistance to DHHS funded
together individuals and organisations
organisations delivering community
critical to the resilience of Melbourne and its
services, of which local government is one.
diverse communities. The Program is
It aims to build resilience to natural
helping cities around the world become
disasters and climate change in community
more resilient to physical, social and
service organisations. This included a
economic shocks and stresses – of which
resilience self-assessment and consulting
climate change is one. Maroondah is an
support which provided an opportunity to
active participant in the Program.
come together to reflect, learn from each
other and strengthen resilience and social
learning networks.
10 Climate Change Risk and Adaptation StrategyPolicy context
While Council has taken the lead in preparing this Strategy, it has been developed with
reference to Victorian and Australian Government policy, the latest available climate
science and community values. A summary of key federal, state and local government
polices is found below.
Australian Government The Melbourne Metropolitan Planning
Strategy (Plan Melbourne 2017-2050)
The Australian Government’s National
identifies that the Melbourne of 2050 needs
Climate Resilience and Adaptation Strategy
to have become a low-carbon city designed
sets out how Australia is managing climate
to cope with the effects of climate change.
risks. It identifies principles to guide
In particular, Direction 6.2, Reduce the
adaptation practice and resilience building,
Likelihood and Consequences of Natural
and sets a vision for future adaptation
Hazard Events and Adapt to Climate
practice.
Change; specifically states the Strategy runs
Victorian Government parallel with actions developed as part of
Victoria’s Climate Change Adaptation Plan
Victoria’s Climate Change Adaptation Plan
2017-2020 and builds on the work of local
2017-2020 provides a blueprint for action to
government and emergency management
help Victoria meet the challenges and act
agencies to build safer and more resilient
on the opportunities of climate change.
communities. It includes:
The Climate Change Act 2017 is a key
• Policy 6.2.1, Mitigate exposure to natural
statute to manage climate change risks and
hazards and adapt to the impacts of
maximise opportunities that arise from
climate change.
decisive action. The Act identifies councils
as one of the decision-makers that must • Policy 6.2.2, Require climate change risks
consider the impacts of climate change, to be considered in infrastructure
specifically during the preparation of a planning.
Municipal Health and Wellbeing Plan Local Government
(MHWP) (the Maroondah Community
In Victoria the Local Government Act 1989
Wellbeing Plan 2017-2021).
requires councils to act in the long-term
The Victorian Government’s climate change interest of its local community. This includes
adaptation plan builds a detailed addressing the viability and sustainability of
understanding of Victoria’s exposure to key economic, social and environmental
climate change risks and impacts. It seeks issues.
to catalyse partnerships for integrated and
effective responses to climate change and Maroondah City Council
tackle immediate priorities to reduce The Maroondah 2040 Community Vision:
climate change risks. In it the Victorian Our Future Together sets out a vision for a
Government commits to commissioning and clean, green and sustainable community. Of
sharing up-to-date climate change data to particular relevance is Key Direction 4.12,
ensure the Government and the community Mitigate and Adapt to the Effects and
can understand and manage the risks and Impacts of Climate Change.
impacts of climate change. The Plan
identifies roles and responsibilities for The table overleaf highlights the links
managing the impacts and risks of climate between Maroondah 2040 and this
change. A detailed breakdown is included in Strategy.
Appendix A.
Climate Change Risk and Adaptation Strategy 11Safe, healthy and active
Table 1 – Links with Maroondah 2040
2040 Outcome Climate Change Risk and Climate Change Risk and
Area Adaptation Strategy Adaptation Strategy
Strategic Outcomes Focus Areas
A clean, green and People: Maroondah's people are Focus Area 1: Reduce
sustainable climate resilient, with vulnerable vulnerability of people at
community groups prioritised risk in Maroondah
An attractive, Places: Maroondah’s places (built Focus Area 2: Reduce
thriving and well- environment, biodiversity and vulnerability of the places
built community waterways) are climate resilient, at risk in Maroondah
improving our health and wellbeing
A well governed and Embed Adaptation: Community and Focus Area 2: Reduce
empowered staff capacity is increased through vulnerability of the places
community improved awareness, education and at risk in Maroondah
encouragement in climate change
adaptation
As per the image below, this Climate Change Risk and Adaptation Strategy is a risk
management response document. Climate change risks affect every aspect of Council’s
assets, operations and service delivery as climate change is not just an environmental
issue.
Image 2: Links to other strategies
Dandenong Creek, Heathmont
12 Climate Change Risk and Adaptation StrategySection 2: What the
evidence revealed
There is increasing scientific evidence
suggesting that climate change is well
underway. According to the latest climate
science, Council needs to plan for and
adapt to some level of climate change.
Climate change projections and climate impacts referenced in this Strategy have been
generated from:
1. T
he national science body, CSIRO and the Bureau of Meteorology – Climate Change in
Australia, www.climatechangeinaustralia.gov.au
2. Australian Government – Climate Ready Natural Resource Management Planning in
Victoria, www.nrmclimate.vic.gov.au
3. C
SIRO – Climate Futures for Eastern Melbourne report, https://eaga.com.au/wp-content/
uploads/App-2b-CSIRO-Climate-Futures_Bushland_EAGA-May-2013.pdf
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the leading international body
for the assessment of climate change. The Fifth IPCC Assessment Report concluded that it
is extremely likely that human influence has been the dominant cause of the observed
warming since the mid-20th century. Continued net emissions of greenhouse gases will
cause further warming and changes in all components of the climate system.
The climate projections for Australia, produced by the CSIRO together with the Bureau of
Meteorology, are provided in the State of the Climate 2016 report. With the future climate
for Australia characterised by decreases in winter and spring rainfall for southern
continental Australia, with an increase in droughts.
In Victoria, there is a need to prepare for a range of futures resulting from climate change.
Climate Change Risk and Adaptation Strategy 13This Adaptation Plan lays out the priorities for the
The foundation of this Adaptation Plan is a shared next four years for the Victorian Government to
vision for Victoria to effectively manage the risks of manage current impacts and to prepare for the
Clean,healthy
Safe, green and
and sustainable
active
climate change. A robust approach to adaptation, long-term risks of climate change. It will help all
informed by the principles of the Climate Change Act, Victorians understand how they can take action, and
underpins the Government’s priorities for action from clarify the role of the Government. It will help us all to
2017 to 2020. These priorities are also based on play our part and work together towards achieving
understanding the roles and responsibilities of the our vision.
Image 3: Future Climate for Victoria
Victoria is already In the future Victoria can expect:
experiencing the impacts
of climate change:
More hot days.
Mildura will have
Harsher fire weather,
up to 30 more
longer fire seasons
days above 35ºC
INCREASED per year by 2070
temperature Less autumn, winter and
across state spring rainfall north of the
Great Dividing Range
since 1950 Temperatures
to increase
1.1-3.3ºC year More frequent
round by 2070 & more intense
downpours
South West
VICTORIA
up to 1.6 ºC Fewer frosts
Less winter and spring
WARMER rainfall south of the
Great Dividing Range
Increased frequency
Average rainfall and height of storm
surge and high tides Rising sea level
DECREASED IN ALL
Warmer & more
parts of VICTORIA acidic oceans
Source: www.climatechange.vic.gov.au
To help Victorians understand the likely scale of change and what they can do to adapt, the Victorian
Government produced Climate-Ready Victoria (2015), a series of regional fact sheets that outline the projected
Climate change is predicted to change the regional climate for eastern Melbourne as follows.
climate change impacts across Victoria and www.climatechange.vic.gov.au/understand). Providing
information to help the community better understand and manage climate change impacts is a key
Temperature Relative
responsibility and an ongoing commitment of the Victorian humidity
Government (Helping Victorian communities adapt
to climate change. p. 27).
• Average temperatures will increase in all • By 2030 a decrease in annual average
13
seasons, most significantly in summer relative humidity of around 0.8% (+0.2 to
and least in winter. -1.8%) is likely.
• The frequency of hot days will increase. • By 2050 decreases in annual average
• The frequency of warm nights will relative humidity of around 0.5% (0.2 to
increase in all seasons, but most in 1.0%) and around 2.7% (-2.0 to -3.6%) are
summer. likely under low and high emissions
scenarios respectively.
Precipitation
Fire Weather
• With higher emissions into the future
there are likely to be decreases in • The frequency of weather conditions
average rainfall in all seasons. conducive to high forest fire risk will
increase.
• The majority of the models project
greatest percentage decreases in average • The fire season will start earlier and end
rainfall to occur in spring. later in the year.
• There will be increases in evaporation Extreme Wind Speeds
across all seasons with most models
• The majority of models indicate extreme
indicating the largest increases will be in
wind-speeds could decrease in spring,
winter.
summer and autumn and increase in
• Projected decreased rainfall and winter.
increased evapotranspiration is likely to
lead to decreased average streamflow.
• The frequency of dry days will increase.
14 Climate Change Risk and Adaptation StrategySolar Radiation
• By 2030 an increase in annual average Source: http://eaga.com.au/wp-content/
solar radiation of around 0.8% (0.1 to uploads/App-2b-CSIRO-Climate-Futures_
1.6%) is likely. Bushland_EAGA-May-2013.pdf
• By 2050 increases in annual average As a result, this Strategy has a focus on
solar radiation of around 0.9% (-0.1 to preparing Council’s operations, assets and
1.9%) and around 2.7% (0.6 to 4.8%) are service delivery for the anticipated impacts
likely under low and high emissions and effects of extreme weather events
scenarios respectively. – considered in the context of climate
change and climate projections.
Heat, Heatwaves and the Urban Heat Island Effect – Monash
University Research
During summer, Australian cities experience an exacerbated urban heat island effect.
This involves the additional heating of the air over a metropolitan area as the result of the
replacement of natural, vegetated surfaces with asphalt, concrete and rooftops.
Monash University researchers have found a This gives us an important indication of how
clear association between suburbs with vulnerable certain parts of our municipality
extreme heat vulnerability and the number are to heatwave and urban heat island
of hospital emergency visits or ambulance impacts. It may identify areas that are a
call outs on extremely hot days. Parts of priority for interventions such as tree
Maroondah are in the list of Melbourne plantings, shadings and targeted
suburbs most at risk due to a combination communications and programs.
of extreme heat and social vulnerability, as
can be seen in Image 4. Risk factors in the
study included lack of tree cover, housing The Economic and Health
types and age as well as the health and Impacts of Heatwaves
socio-economic status of the population.
The Climate Council’s report 2015,
Image 4: Mapping heat vulnerability The Silent Killer: Climate Change and
the Health Impacts of Extreme Heat
found that heatwaves have been
shown to dramatically affect patient
pressure on health services. During
the heatwave in southeast Australia
in January/February 2009,
emergency call-outs increased 46
per cent; cases involving heat-
related illness increased 34-fold; and
cardiac arrests almost tripled in
Victoria. In total, 374 excess deaths
were recorded, a 62 per cent
increase on the previous year
www.climatecouncil.org.au/
silentkillerreport
Source: Loughnan, Nicholls & Tapper, 2012
Climate Change Risk and Adaptation Strategy 15Clean, green and sustainable
Identification of climate change risks
Council carried out a risk assessment in Image 5: Maroondah climate change
partnership with the EAGA to determine risk profile according to climate
how climate change projections would hazards
impact on Council’s operations, assets and
service delivery. This was done through
EAGA facilitated workshops with EAGA Breakdown of the Maroondah climate
member councils. While the risk assessment change risk profile according to climate
had a regional focus, it was also developed hazards
to be used as a working guide for Councils
to embed climate change through their risk
registers.
For the purposes of this Strategy and to
help concentrate efforts for finding
solutions, a total of 42 significant risks All Heat
relating to climate change where identified 26% 29%
across Council.
EAGA found that in the coming decades,
Melbourne’s east can expect increasingly
hotter and drier conditions with impacts
Bushfire
under the following four categories:
10%
• Heat (increased frequency, duration and
Drought
severity of heatwaves) Flood and 21%
• Drought (decreased average rainfall and Storm
more severe, prolonged drought 14%
conditions)
• Flood and Storm (less regular but more
intense rainfall and storm events)
• Bushfire (significant increase in bushfire
n Heat
danger days).
Some risks ranged across all categories. n Drought
A breakdown of the Maroondah climate n Flood and Storm
change risk profile according to climate n Bushfire
hazards is found in Image 5 and Table 2 with
n All
the number of risks set out below:
• Heat (12)
• Drought (9)
• Flood and Storm (6)
• Bushfire (4)
• All (11).
16 Climate Change Risk and Adaptation StrategyTable 2: Detailed breakdown of climate hazards
Topic Issue Climate change Existing actions to reduce risk
scenario used in
the risk workshops
Heat Increased • Number of hot • With a changing climate
frequency, duration days increase and growing population,
and severity of • Frequency of Council has a Heatwave
heatwaves warm nights will Plan in place to reduce the
increase impacts of heatwaves.
Drought Decreased average • Decrease in • The Maroondah Water
rainfall and more average rainfall Sensitive City Strategy
severe, prolonged • Increase in includes a target to reduce
drought conditions severity and Council’s potable water use.
duration of • Management and action
droughts plans to address
environmental impacts on
bushland reserves.
Flood and Less regular but • More extreme • With a changing climate
Storm more intense rainfall events and growing population, we
rainfall and storm • Change in flood have the Flood and Storm
events patterns Plan in place to reduce the
impacts of floods.
• Council is reducing flood
risk by improving drainage
systems, and upgrading
stormwater infrastructure.
Bushfire Significant increase • Fire season to • Together the Victorian
in bushfire danger start earlier and Government, Country Fire
days end later Authority and Council have
• Extreme fire days reviewed and updated
increase by bushfire hazard mapping.
12-38% by 2020
and 20-135% by
2050.
Climate Change Risk and Adaptation Strategy 17Clean, green and sustainable
Themes
The risk assessment identified that the hotter drier conditions combined with an increase
in the frequency and severity and extent of extreme weather events is likely to multiply
existing risks faced by councils.
In reviewing the risks, the following themes were identified (Table 3). The risks relate to
drainage and flooding, financial impacts, asset damage, health and wellbeing, open space,
biodiversity, water security, service demand, service disruption and insurance. The themes
provide another way to consider or communicate the Council’s risk profile.
Table 3: Council climate change risk themes
Theme summary Theme description
Drainage and Flooding Key risk areas for Council around stormwater runoff and
flooding, including rainfall and flooding cause infrastructure
damage and pollution.
Financial Impacts Financial impacts, including increasing maintenance and
operating costs and reduce asset lifespans.
Asset Damage Current building design standards are not adequate for
projected climate conditions, including for assets that
provide the most critical services to the community.
Health and Wellbeing Direct and indirect health impacts to the Council’s staff and
community. Direct health impacts occur at the same time
and place as a weather event – for example, floods may
cause injury, and heatwaves can cause physiological effects.
Indirect health impacts caused by climate change can be
triggered by weather events but occur later in time or
farther removed in distance – for example, flooding may
cause respiratory illness due to increased exposure to air
pollutants from moulds, and an indirect health impact of
drought may be increased anxiety and depression in
communities where incomes and social networks are
affected.
Open Space Increasing heat exposure poses risks to people using
Council sport facilities and active outdoor spaces such as
hardening of sportsgrounds.
Biodiversity Increasing temperatures lead to loss of biodiversity and
increased environmental management costs. Conditions
favour increased spread of weeds.
Water Security Reduced water availability leads to greater demand for and
costs of irrigation.
Service Demand Increased demand on Council services.
Service Disruption Council service delivery may be interrupted by heat, flood
and storm or fire, including power and communication
outages.
Insurance Rising insurance premiums and liability issues for local
government.
18 Climate Change Risk and Adaptation StrategyImpacts and effects
A range of Council service areas have responsibility for a range of climate change risks
across the organisation (Table 4).
Table 4: Legend for responsible area of Council as included in the risk references
Code Responsible Area of Council
CE Communications and Engagement
CS Corporate Services
OAL Operations, Assets and Leisure
DA Development and Amenity
SC Strategy and Community
Table 5 below presents the 42 risks. Some risks have broader impacts and require a
coordinated response with others.
Table 5: Climate change risks to Council
Risk reference Risk name Risk description Responsible
(and climate area of Council
hazard)
SC1 (Heat) Mortality risk to Risk of mortality to Strategy and
vulnerable vulnerable members of Community
populations community during
heatwaves.
SC2 (Heat) Increased demand Increasing number of Strategy and
on council support heatwaves impacts on Community
services community leading to
greater council demand on
support services.
SC3 (Heat) Reduced council Reduced council services Strategy and
services put during heatwave events pose Community
vulnerable at risk health risks to vulnerable
members of community.
CS1 (Flood and Increased injuries Increased physical injuries to Corporate
Storm) to staff community and council staff Services
from extreme weather
events.
OAL1 (Heat) Demand on pools Heatwaves place greater Operations,
pose safety risk demand on council Assets and
swimming pools posing risks Leisure
to staff and public safety.
CE1 and DA4 Inadequate Lack of adequate Communications
(All) communication communication to and
community during extreme Engagement,
weather events. Development
and Amenity
Climate Change Risk and Adaptation Strategy 19Clean, green and sustainable
Table 5: Climate change risks to Council cont.
Risk reference Risk name Risk description Responsible
(and climate area of Council
hazard)
CE1 and DA4 Inadequate Lack of adequate Communications
(All) communication communication to and
community during extreme Engagement,
weather events. Development
and Amenity
DA5 (Flood Increase in water Potential increase in water Development
and Storm) borne diseases borne viruses from pollution and Amenity
due to flooding
DA6 (Drought) Dust storms leading Increase in dust storms Development
to public health leading to public health and Amenity
issues issues.
DA7 (Heat) Hot days reduce Increasing temperatures and Development
mental wellbeing hot days reduce mental and Amenity
wellbeing in community.
OAL2 Bushfire leading to Increased bushfire danger Operations,
(Bushfire) property damage leads to more losses or Assets and
damage to council buildings. Leisure
OAL3 (All) Climate increases More extreme climate Operations,
cost of maintaining conditions and weather Assets and
infrastructure events damage Council and Leisure
community infrastructure
increasing maintenance and
operating costs and reduce
asset lifespans and
degradation.
OAL4 (Flood Rainfall and Severe rainfall events Operations,
and Storm) flooding cause overwhelm existing drains Assets and
infrastructure and retarding basins causing Leisure
damage and overflow events, localised
pollution flooding, damage to
infrastructure and
environmental
contamination.
OAL5 (Heat) Higher maintenance Damage to transport Operations,
costs on transport infrastructure during Assets and
infrastructure heatwaves leading to higher Leisure
maintenance and
replacement costs and
mobility issues.
SC8 (Heat) Increased energy Increasing temperatures Strategy and
demand from leads to increased energy Community
cooling demand from cooling
leading to higher financial
costs and greenhouse gas
emissions.
20 Climate Change Risk and Adaptation StrategyTable 5: Climate change risks to Council cont.
Risk reference Risk name Risk description Responsible
(and climate area of Council
hazard)
OAL6 Damage to Reduced soil moisture levels Operations,
(Drought) underground lead to increase soil Assets and
infrastructure movement damaging Leisure
underground infrastructure
such as drains and building
foundations.
OAL7 (Flood Increased rainfall Damage to road and drain Operations,
and Storm) damages infrastructure burst water Assets and
infrastructure supply pipes and collapse of Leisure
drains due to increased
intensity of rainfall events.
SC9 (Drought) Reduced water Reduced water availability Strategy and
leading to leads to increased water and Community
economic impacts fresh food costs leading to
broad economic impacts on
community.
SC10 (Heat) High energy costs Higher energy costs lead to Strategy and
lead to economic reduced disposable income Community
slowdown leading to regional economic
slowdown.
SC11 (Drought) Community Inadequate alternative water Strategy and
concerns about supply for community and Community
water supply community concerns over
reuse and storage.
OAL8 Less flushing of Lack of cleaning, flushing Operations,
(Drought) roads and effect of waterways and Assets and
waterways roads due to reduced rainfall. Leisure
DA12 (All) Building design Current building design Development
standards standards not adequate for and Amenity
inadequate projected climate conditions.
OAL9 Increased cost of Reduced water availability Operations,
(Drought) irrigation leads to greater demand for Assets and
and costs of irrigation. Leisure
OAL10 (Heat) Pest visitation Temperature increases Operations,
range changes leading to changes in pest Assets and
visitation ranges. Leisure
OAL11 (Flood Increased weed Increased weed spread from Operations,
and Storm) spread flooding events lead to Assets and
increased costs of weed Leisure
management and
revegetation.
Climate Change Risk and Adaptation Strategy 21Clean, green and sustainable
Table 5: Climate change risks to Council cont.
Risk reference Risk name Risk description Responsible
(and climate area of Council
hazard)
OAL12 Hardening of Drier and hotter conditions Operations,
(Drought) sportsgrounds lead to increased hardening Assets and
of sports grounds leads to Leisure
higher rate of injuries and
rate of claims.
OAL13 (Heat) Loss of biodiversity Hotter and drier conditions Operations,
due to heat lead to loss of biodiversity Assets and
reducing amenity and Leisure
environmental values.
OAL14 Extreme bushfires More extreme bushfires lead Operations,
(Bushfire) lead to biodiversity to loss of biodiversity and Assets and
loss and require long term recovery impacts Leisure
increased requiring more management
management interventions.
OAL15 (Flood More damaged and Increased extreme weather Operations,
and Storm) fallen trees events leads to more Assets and
damaged and fallen trees Leisure
posing risk to safety, loss of
services and increased
maintenance costs.
OAL16 (Heat) Increased Increasing temperatures lead Operations,
environmental to loss of biodiversity and Assets and
management costs increased environmental Leisure
management costs.
OAL17 Higher tree Reduced water availability Operations,
(Drought) mortality and leads to higher tree mortality Assets and
reduced and reduction in biodiversity Leisure
biodiversity leading to tree failure and
less green areas.
OAL18 Conditions favour Weeds favoured due to drier Operations,
(Drought) spread of weeds and hotter conditions Assets and
increasing competition Leisure
against native species.
SC13 (Bushfire) Bushfire leading to Increased risk of chemical Strategy and
increase in chemical contamination and loss of Community
contamination industrial assets in Bayswater
North precinct due to
increased bushfires.
OAL19 Greater fire risk Higher fire risk requires Operations,
(Bushfire) management greater management of Assets and
around reserves interface between council Leisure
reserves and private land
22 Climate Change Risk and Adaptation StrategyTable 5: Climate change risks to Council cont.
Risk reference Risk name Risk description Responsible
(and climate area of Council
hazard)
DA14 (All) Inadequate Council emergency and Development
resources recovery facilities unable to and Amenity
cope with increased
frequency and severity of
extreme weather events.
CE2 and CS2 Reduction in Power and communication Communications
(Heat) council service outages during heatwaves and
leads to loss of council Engagement,
service and ability to Corporate
respond to extreme events. Services
CS3 (All) Emergency More bushfire danger days Corporate
response disrupts lead to more council staff Services
business continuity working on emergency
response disrupting business
continuity.
CS4 (All) Changing weather Increased rate of claims from Corporate
increase property damage to property and Services
insurance people from extreme storm
events and bushfires.
CS5 (All) Service delivery Council unable to meet Corporate
failure in extreme increased demand on council Services
weather services during extreme
weather events.
CS6 (All) Increased climate Increased resources required Corporate
events reduce to manage and mitigate Services
council service increasing frequency of
delivery climate events reduce other
areas of council service
delivery.
CS7 (All) Less staff can Transport disruptions during Corporate
attend work due to extreme weather events lead Services
transport disruption to reduced staff able to
attend work.
CS8 (All) Insurance premium More extreme weather Corporate
increase events reduce public safety Services
and lead to increased rate of
claims.
OAL20 (All) Extreme weather Increased cost of cleanup Operations,
events require and recovery from increased Assets and
increased costs frequency and severity of Leisure
from recovery extreme weather events
Climate Change Risk and Adaptation Strategy 23Clean, green and sustainable
How Council will manage identified risks
The effects and impacts of these climate hazards demonstrates the need for policy and
decision-making that demonstrates leadership and coordinated effort across Council
operations, assets and service delivery.
Early planning for climate change will help reduce impacts. Council supports a proactive
approach to managing the risks associated with climate change.
According to policy makers, strategies and actions can be pursued to move towards
climate-resilient pathways for sustainable development, while at the same time helping to
improve livelihoods, social and economic wellbeing, and responsible environmental
management (IPCC 2014). Increased capacity, voice, and influence of low-income groups
and vulnerable communities and their partnerships with local governments also benefit
adaptation. Decisions range from simple to complex, and some will need to be made sooner
than others. The pathways approach to climate change adaptation is the accepted best
practice.
Key functions of Council in adapting to Bushland and Urban Biodiversity in a
climate change Changing Climate Research project
These include the following: A changing climate will impact
biodiversity. Along with those impacts,
• Ensuring assets (starting with buildings)
councils will face increased challenges in
can withstand extreme events and
managing bushland and biodiversity
climate change.
assets. The recommended approaches
• Identifying how climate change will to come out of the Bushland and Urban
impact street trees, bushland and urban Biodiversity in a Changing Climate
biodiversity (see Bushland and Urban Research project as developed by the
Biodiversity in a Changing Climate EAGA include:
Research project).
• Consider the potential implications of
• Building community and staff
climate change in all Council
understanding of climate change risks
operations and actions
and partnerships internally and externally
for risk reduction. • Use adaptive management to maintain
options and flexibility for long-term
• Advocate for the community where
resilience
Council does not control the outcomes.
• Improve inter-agency and regional
Council will foster a process of ongoing
coordination
organisational learning from experience,
adjustment, and transformation. • Increase landscape connectivity, both
within and across adjoining
An intentional focus of this Strategy is on municipalities
the achievement of co-benefits. For
• Reduce other compounding threats to
example, investment in greening cities and
biodiversity, i.e. weeds and feral animals,
recycling water could help to address
habitat fragmentation and pollution
overheating and flood mitigation, whilst also
creating new cycle routes and high quality • Create and support programs to
amenity space. communicate knowledge about
climate change to policy-makers and
the public
• Manage urban bushland by
maintaining natural disturbance
dynamics e.g. in planning fuel
reduction.
http://eaga.com.au/wp-content/
uploads/Final-Report-May-2013.pdf
24 Climate Change Risk and Adaptation StrategySection 3 – What we did
and what you told us
Significant community engagement was
undertaken in the preparation of this
Strategy.
This was done through a range of methods including:
• A discussion paper (Maroondah City Council 2016) which drew together a range of
research and data on climate change adaptation in Maroondah.
• An online survey.
• Council’s Café Consult marquee at the 2016 Maroondah Festival. Council received 138
written responses to questions posed. Participants provided a total of 378 “hot-dot”
(multi-vote counts) against actions people have taken to make their home more
comfortable and adaptable to climate change, with the results available at Image 6.
• Meetings with key stakeholders including various greenhouse alliances.
• Website, social media, local newspaper advertisement and display at service centres.
Image 6: Actions residents are already taking on climate change
Breakdown of the Maroondah climate
Climate Change Risk and Adaptation Strategy 25Clean, green and sustainable
Respondents identified that climate change is an important issue and that Council’s
discussion paper was on the right track. They want Council to ‘lead by example’ and ‘work
together’ with others and share lessons as they too look to adapt to the challenges of a
changing climate.
The two most popular reasons why climate To respond to the challenge of climate
change mattered to the community were: change, community views suggested a
climate resilient neighbourhood within
• Natural environment – for example,
Maroondah should:
impacts on plants and animals; changes
to ecosystems; and the impact climate • upscale stormwater reuse
change has on the Earth. • be energy efficient
• Health – for example lifestyle impacts • adopt integrated transport
and quality of life; human survival; and
• foster urban greening.
intergenerational equity considerations
(fairness of justice between generations).
Maroondah residents are also taking action on climate change: “I am always mindful of
helping the environment so I’ve changed some things at home to play my part. I’ve got
water-saving shower heads and solar panels for electricity. I also try to walk as often as
possible rather than taking the car. I also have ceiling fans and insulation”.
The views of the community were documented in the Community Engagement Report
(Maroondah City Council 2017).
26 Climate Change Risk and Adaptation StrategySection 4 – A strategy for
the future
A vision for a more climate adapted Maroondah
Climate change adaptation will be used to strengthen our ability to be healthy, safe, happy,
and vibrant in a changing climate.
Strategic framework
This Vision will be achieved by addressing climate change adaptation through three
Strategic Outcomes outlined in the Strategy. The Key Directions for each Strategic
Outcome describe how Council will specifically respond.
Image 7: Climate change adaptation Strategic Outcomes and Key Directions
People:
Maroondah’s people
are climate resilient,
with vulnerable groups
prioritised
Climate change
adaptation will be
used to strengthen our
ability to be healthy,
safe, happy, and
vibrant in a changing
climate
Embed Adaptation: Places:
Community and staff capacity Maroondah’s places (built
is increased through improved enviroment, biodiversity
awareness, education and and waterways) are
encouragement in climate climate resilient,
change adaptation improving our health
and wellbeing
These Strategic Outcomes recognise the interplay between the built, natural and social
environments and seek to ensure climate change risks are managed in a planned and
considered way.
Climate Change Risk and Adaptation Strategy 27Clean, green and sustainable
Outcome Area 1 – People
Our achievements so far What the evidence tells us
• Council launched the Solar Savers Community health and wellbeing
program in 2017 to support local
pensioners to install solar with no upfront Vulnerable people in the community are at
costs. greater risk of sickness, death and
significant financial and social impacts from
• Council was an initiating project partner
climate change, including heat, heatwaves
of the ‘Let’s Get Ready’ project in 2016,
and the urban heat island effect. This
to engage youth in preparedness
includes those who already receive
education, including climate change
community care, the sick and disabled,
impacts. The project is educating youth
indigenous, low income, socially isolated,
in the preparation for, response to and
the elderly and very young and CALD
recovery from disasters.
communities. Those with poor quality
• 2014 Fire Awareness Awards – housing also face increased vulnerability to
Multicultural Award – Winner. Eastern heatwave. Reduced Council services during
Metro Burmese Communities Fire heatwave events pose health risks to
Engagement Project – Parks Victoria, vulnerable members of the community.
Manningham Council, Maroondah City
Council, the former Department of Increasing temperatures lead to increased
Environment and Primary Industries, energy demands from cooling (e.g. air
Migrant Information Centre – Eastern conditioning units) resulting in higher
Melbourne, Metropolitan Fire Brigade, financial costs and greenhouse gas
Country Fire Authority, Victoria Police emissions.
and Eastern Metro Burmese community. Staff health and wellbeing
Council employees may be directly exposed
to the impacts of climate change, which can
What we will do affect their health and safety and reduce
the productivity of the organisation.
Outcome description Outdoor employees are at particular risk
Maroondah’s people are climate resilient, from heat stroke and increased physical
with vulnerable groups prioritised – both injuries from more hot days and extreme
community and Council’s staff. weather events. This can lead to a greater
Council demand on support services.
Objectives:
• Decrease the urban heat island effect.
• Provide nominated Emergency Relief
Centres (ERC) to the community.
• Work with other agencies to support
vulnerable members of the community in
adapting to climate change.
• Educate and support the community and
staff in adapting to climate change.
28 Climate Change Risk and Adaptation StrategyImage 8: ‘Let’s Get Ready’ project
Disaster education session at Croydon Town Park provided participants an opportunity to
learn how to prepare and be ready for emergency events whilst becoming ‘Resilience
Ambassadors’ in the community.
What the community told us Key Directions
• “Effects my work with the sick and 1. M
anage community safety and emergency
elderly. Heat affects them”. risk through an evidence based approach
in consideration of Council’s Municipal
• A climate resilient neighbourhood looks Emergency Management Plan and
like “Neighbours looking out for each sub-plans.
other”.
2. H
elp pensioners to save on power bills
Focus Areas and afford to use cooling units in their
homes, through extending the Solar
Savers program.
Focus Area 1: Reduce vulnerability of
the people at risk in Maroondah. 3. P
articipate in multi-agency events and
exercises to support communities and
2040 Outcome Area: A clean, green and organisations to better connect and make
sustainable community. Key directions from safer and more informed decisions.
Maroondah 2040: Our Future Together:
4. W
ork with local partners such as the
• Mitigate and adapt to the effects and Municipal Emergency Management
impacts of climate change. Planning Committee and the EAGA, to
• Work in partnership to reduce raise awareness of local climate change
greenhouse gas emissions and support impacts and how to address them, for
the community in adapting to a post residents in the Maroondah area.
peak oil environment.
5. S
trengthen Council’s planning and
• Be responsive and adaptive to new protocols for events (e.g. leisure
environmental opportunities and threats activities) and human resources.
as they occur, building resilience and
capacity within the community.
Climate Change Risk and Adaptation Strategy 29Clean, green and sustainable
Outcome Area 2 – Places
Our achievements so far What the evidence tells us
• As part of the EAGA municipalities, in Assets and infrastructure
June 2016 Council received the United
Nations Association of Australia (UNAA) More extreme climate conditions and
World Environment Day Local weather events can damage Council and
Government Award for the Biodiversity community infrastructure increasing
Monitoring in Melbourne’s East project. maintenance and operating costs and
reducing asset lifespans. Heavy rainfall and
• Council has initiated a collaboration with
flooding often cause significant
an academic institution to determine the
infrastructure damage and pollution.
role of multiple stressors on Eucalypt
dieback in Maroondah. Current building design standards are not
• Council has pursued flood mitigation in adequate for projected climate conditions.
priority areas and has implemented Decisions about new buildings and renewals
stormwater management guidelines for should incorporate building vulnerability
developers. assessments that consider the risk to assets
from climate change. This includes
adapting existing assets, particularly those
that provide the most critical services to the
What we will do community.
Natural environment
Outcome description
Extreme weather patterns have impacted
Maroondah’s places, including the built on bushland areas with vegetation and
environment, its biodiversity and waterways, plant species declining and extended fire
are climate resilient, improving our health seasons have also been experienced.
and wellbeing. Increased extreme weather events leads to
Objectives: more damaged and fallen trees posing risk
to safety, loss of services and increased
• Account for Melbourne’s east
maintenance costs. There is also a need for
experiencing more frequent and
greater fire risk management around
prolonged extreme heatwave, drought,
reserves.
bushfires and more intense rainfall events
• Pursue flood risk adaptation responses Climate change challenges assumptions
across the water cycle that natural resource management might be
able to preserve present or restore past
• Increase the integrity and connectivity of
conditions. Increasing temperatures lead to
native vegetation across the landscape
loss of biodiversity and increased
(e.g. biolinks)
environmental management costs.
• Work with all levels of government, other Conditions favour increased spread of
assets managers, stakeholders and the weeds.
community to cool and green Maroondah
(e.g. provide shade, reduce heat islands, An Australian Government funded study of
connect vegetation communities) 1.5 million trees in 29 council areas across
Australia including Maroondah found that
• Use climate sensitive materials and urban
higher temperatures and urban heat means
elements, including in protecting our
new tree species may be introduced,
local parks and sports fields in a hotter
existing trees must be given special care
climate.
and some trees may disappear in certain
locations.
30 Climate Change Risk and Adaptation StrategySome 19 per cent of trees were at high risk temperatures even further. Poor quality
under business-as-usual in the City of housing can expose residents to extreme
Maroondah. They included Eucalyptus heat. Residents of settlements where public
cephalocarpa, Eucalyptus radiate, transport is harder to access can also face
Eucalyptus goniocalyx, Eucalyptus obliqua, compounding stresses including a lack of
Eucalyptus ovata, Eucalyptus scoparia, access to services and rising fuel costs.
Betula pendula, Prunus × blireiana,
Eucalyptus globoidea, Eucalyptus
macrorhyncha, and Pinus radiate.
What the community has
Clean Air and Urban Landscapes Hub (2017)
depicts risk to individual trees within
told us
Maroondah’s street tree population colour
• A climate resilient neighbourhood looks
coded for temperature risk under current
like “Having proper shaded playgrounds
climate conditions, an emissions limited
for our children to play in especially
climate scenario and a business as usual
during warm summer days”.
scenario. The report notes there are several
ways to adapt to increasing temperatures • “…concentrate on things that make lives
such as by providing irrigation or improved better and more comfortable – storm
pest and disease management, careful site water, growing own food, planting
selection for vulnerable species, improved greenery, developing solar and wind
tree maintenance and by selecting trees power, improving infrastructure, reward
that are better adapted to future climates. people for their improvements”.
Sports and recreation
Council faces challenges from the impacts Focus Areas
of drought on the maintenance of local
parks, sports and recreational facilities.
Increasing heat exposure poses risks to Focus Area 2: Reduce vulnerability of
people using Council sport facilities and the places at risk in Maroondah.
public open space (e.g. heat stroke, injuries 2040 Outcome Area: An attractive, thriving
associated with the hardening of and well-built community. Key directions
sportsgrounds). In addition, reduced water from Maroondah 2040: Our Future
availability leads to greater demands for Together:
irrigation and associated financial costs to
• Ensure the management of infrastructure
Council.
and prioritisation of capital works
Urban development considers demographic change, the
impacts of climate change, and
Key risk areas for Council relating to
accessibility for all ages and abilities.
stormwater runoff and flooding include
damage to and loss of land and assets. • Coordinate and advocate for the
Impacts are likely to be short term and increased utilisation, longevity and
episodic. There is also an increased risk of availability of fit for purpose public,
bushfire under climate change. Heatwaves private and not for profit buildings and
are increasing in frequency and intensity, spaces that can act as key places for
putting people’s lives at risk. This is neighbourhood connection.
especially serious in urban areas, when the
urban heat island effect increases
Climate Change Risk and Adaptation Strategy 31You can also read
