[Greens-Media] Coastal vulnerability to climate change: All governments should follow example of Sydney Coastal Councils Group

[Hollo, Tim (Sen C. Milne)]

Coastal vulnerability to climate change: All governments should follow
example of Sydney Coastal Councils Group

Devenport, Tuesday 29 April 2008  Australian Greens climate change
spokesperson, Senator Christine Milne, today called for a strategic
effort across all levels of government in Australia to conduct detailed
climate vulnerability mapping and bring planning laws into line with the
real world, where climate change is already cause for concern.

Senator Milne said "As today's study released by the CSIRO and Sydney
Coastal Councils Group shows, Australia's governments at every level are
woefully under-prepared for the onset of increasingly serious climate
change impacts, and it is well past time for planning regimes to be
brought into the real world.

"We have known for years now that sea level rise, water shortages,
bushfires, storms and heatwaves will have a dramatic impact on our towns
and cities. But, instead of beginning the work of calculating the risks
and factoring them in to planning laws, most governments have simply
carried on with planning-as-usual, apparently hoping that ignoring the
problem would make it go away.

"Local Councils across Australia are on notice that their failure to
change planning regimes to factor in projected climate change impacts is
irresponsible and must be addressed.

"Otherwise ratepayers from Four Mile Creek to Scamander on Tasmania's
east coast, on the Gold Coast's waterfront, and in the bushfire prone
Adelaide Hills, will end up footing the bill when insurers refuse to pay
out for the inevitable damages that will occur thanks to short-sighted
planning.

"Federal, State and Territory governments must also wake up to the
reality of unavoidable climate change impacts and oversee detailed
climate vulnerability mapping to help local councils do their job
properly.

"The mapping project by the CSIRO and Sydney Coastal Councils Group
examined regional exposure, sensitivity and adaptability to projected
climate change impacts, and found that those who are already society's
most vulnerable - the poor, elderly and least well-educated - will
become more vulnerable thanks to climate change.

"The Sydney project is a vitally important start. But there is far more
work to be done before Australia can claim to be in any way prepared to
weather the climate changes we have helped create."

Contact: Tim Hollo on 0437 587 562


Tim Hollo
Media and Communications Adviser
Senator Christine Milne
+61 (0)2 6277 3063
+61 (0) 437 587 562
www.christinemilne.org.au

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