Planning for climate change by Queensland coastal councils

Abstract

The Queensland Coastal Plan requires councils to prepare coastal hazard adaptation plans for those parts of their urban areas at risk from a projected sea level rise of 80cm by 2100. This paper reviews adaptation actions in climate change strategies prepared by four urban Queensland coastal councils (e.g. Cairns, Gold Coast, Redland, and Sunshine Coast), and one community-based climate adaptation action plan for Bribie Island in Moreton Bay. The actions in these climate change plans are analysed for their adaptive response categories: Emphasising Nature, Emphasising Development and Managed Nature (Vasey-Ellis, 2009), along with Council Governance of climate change, and Emphasising Communities. Climate change planning and infrastructure responses by Queensland coastal councils mainly focus on protecting coastal development from erosion and other climate hazards, and building community resilience, supplemented by ‘soft’ environmental actions protecting nature. While some climate plans included actions for shoreline erosion, coastal inundation, and storm surges, only one addressed sea level rise impacts on buildings and heritage (i.e. Redland).