A Shared Journey: Local Government service delivery in a changing climate

1. A Shared Journey: Local Government service delivery in a changing climate Shelley McGuinness, Claire Flanagan-Smith, Carl Larsen

2. Welcome

3. Introductions

4. Purpose of today • Climate variability, risks and costs • State and federal climate policy impacting on local government. • Fundamentals of adaptation planning. • Share stories from other councils • Develop networks

5. Agenda

6. Groundrules

7. Context

8. Context • Government policy • Business continuity and business risk • Community expectation Drivers for Council, as a business, to consider climate change?

9. Context: Policy drivers • Energy Efficiency Opportunities Act • National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Act • Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Act • Clean Energy Act • Climate Change Authority Act • Clean Energy Regulator Act 2011 Australian Government Legislation

10. Context: Policy drivers Australian Government Policy & Programs • Energy Efficiency Information Grants • Low Carbon Communities • Living Greener – Household advice line • Energy Saving Initiative • Clean Energy Skills • Coal mining assistance • Energy Security Fund • Jobs and Competitiveness program • Carbon Farming Initiative • Carbon Farming Initiative non-Kyoto carbon fund • Indigenous Carbon Farming Fund • Carbon Farming Skills • Climate Change Grant Program • Green Loans and Green Start Programs • Home Insulation Safety Plan • National Solar Schools • Renewable Energy target • Smart Grid, Smart City • Solar Cities • Renewable Energy Bonus Scheme – Solar Hot Water Rebate

11. Context: Policy drivers • Climate Change Act • Victorian Renewable Energy Amendment Act • Victorian Energy Efficiency Target Act • Renewable Energy Authority Victoria Act • Water Act Victorian Government Legislation

12. Context: Policy drivers Future Farming Strategy Timber Industry Strategy Industry Transition Taskforce Policy Framework for Near Zero Emissions from Victoria’s Fossil Fuels Framework for the Long-Term Underground Geological Storage of CO Sustainable Transport Energy Climate Change in Victoria Climate Change in Eastern Victoria Stage 1 Report: The effect of climate change on coastal wind and weather patterns Climate Change Impacts on Fire Weather in South-East Australia Climate Change in Eastern Victoria Stage 2 report: The effect of climate change on storm surges Estimating the impacts of Climate Change on Victoria’s Runoff Climate Change in Victoria: High resolution regional assessment of climate change impacts The impacts of Climate Change on Snow Conditions in Mainland Australia Climate change in Victoria: High resolution regional assessment of climate change impacts Summary of Climate Change Research reports Relevant to Victoria Victorian Government Policy & Programs Projected Changes in Temperature and Heating degree Days for Melbourne Climate change in Victoria Extreme Events and the Impact of Climate Change on Victoria’s Coastline: A report to EPA and Melbourne Water Impacts of the Clean Energy Future on the Victorian Economy Taking Action for Victoria’s Future Climate Change White Taking Action for Victoria’s Future Climate Change White Paper Action Plan Victoria’s Energy Future Victoria Climate Change Green Paper A Climate Opportunity Summit Paper: Victorian Climate Change Summit Energy Efficiency for Victoria Action Plan Our Environment Our Future: Sustainability Action Statement Victorian Greenhouse Strategy Plan Update Our Environment Our Future: Victoria’s Sustainability Framework The Greenhouse Challenge for Energy Securing Our Natural Future: A White Paper for land and Biodiversity at a time of Climate Change

13. Context: Policy drivers Stocktake and Analysis of Household Behaviour Change Programs in Victoria Impacts of Climate Change on Settlements in the Western Port Region – climate change risks and adaptation Victorian Local Government Greenhouse and Climate Change Case Study: a report by the Municipal Association of Victoria Understanding Climate Change Impacts – a climate Change Adaptation Framework prepared for the North Eat Greenhouse Alliance Initiating Gippsland Response to Climate Change Climate Change Impacts in Gippsland\ Climate change and health – an exploration of the challenges for public health Victoria Evaluation of the Victorian 5 star building standard 2010 Pathways for improving energy-related building performance in residential building World Sustainable Building Conference: Victoria’s Response to the issues Victorian Government Office accommodation Guidelines Climate Change and Infrastructure and Climate change risk assessment for Victoria – Part 1 and Part 2 Victorian Government Policy & Programs (con’t) Water Savings Requirement for New Residential Buildings in Victoria: options for flexible compliance – a report to DSE by George Wilkenfeld & Associates Housing condition/ energy performance of rental properties in Victoria, DSE Ecological Impacts on Phillip Island Penguins Regional Economic Impacts on Phillip Island Penguin Potential Biological Indicators of Climate Change: evidence from phenology records of plants along the Victorian Coast Whither the weeds under climate change Planning for coastal climate change 2009 A Scoping Study on Impact and Adaptation Strategies for Climate Change in Victoria 2006 Victorian Greenhouse Gas Inventory Victoria’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions 1990, 1995, 2000 and 2005: End-use Allocation of Emissions Wedges: understanding the Potential to Reduce Victoria’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions – 2005 Greenhouse Gas Inventory 2004 Greenhouse Gas Inventory Benefit-Cost Analysis of Victoria’s Towards Zero Waste Strategy

14. Context: Best practice business management “BHP Billiton acknowledges the risks of climate change and the need to stabilise greenhouse gas concentrations at acceptable levels.” BHP Billiton “Climate change poses clear, catastrophic threats. We may not agree on the extent, but we certainly can’t afford the risk of inaction.” Rupert Murdoch “Climate change and the impact that it will have on key industries such as agriculture, tourism, energy, transport and insurance, is as important as interest rate risk and exchange risk.”- Henri de Castries, Chief Executive of AXA “The global threat from climate change is now clearer than ever. The whole economy has to change.”– Sir Terry Leahy, Tesco Chief Executive

15. Context: Business continuity and business risk • Infrastructure • Community health • Workplace safety • Emergency management • Planning and development • Natural resource management Direct impacts Indirect impacts • Business costs • LG obligations defined by other levels of government • Economic development • Community development • Liveability

16. Context: Business continuity and business risk • Specific statutory duties • Ecologically Sustainable development principles • Demonstrate ‘reasonable response’ Local Government Act

17. Context: Community expectations • Service delivery expectations • Continuity • Scope • Quality • Increasing community awareness and knowledge • Demand change in service delivery and culture across Council business

18. Context • Government policy • Business continuity and business risk • Community expectation Drivers for Council, as a business, to consider climate change?

19. Context • Any questions?

20. Context: Climate variability

21. Context: Climate variability

22. Context: Climate variability

23. Context: Climate variability

24. Context: Climate change (North Central)

25. Context: Climate change (North Central) • Temperature: • Warmer on average • More hot days • Fewer frosts • Rainfall • Drier on average • Increase in rainfall intensity, particular in summer • By 2070 • Donald’s climate similar to present day Balranald • Bendigo’s temperature similar to present day Ouyen • Bendigo’s rainfall similar to present day Charlton

26. Context: Climate change (Mallee)

27. Context: Climate change (Mallee) • Temperature • Warmer on average • More hot days • Fewer frosts • Rainfall • Drier on average • Increase in rainfall intensity, particular in summer • By 2070: • Mildura’s climate similar to present day Wilcannia • Birchip’s climate similar to present day Hillston

28. Context: Extreme events “…if your head’s in the freezer and your bum’s in the oven, the average would say you are okay”

29. Context: Extreme events and local stories • Cost Floods in Gannawarra Shire: • $23 million road damage. 100 culverts to be repaired and bridges • 100 houses flooded • Damage to agriculture – estimated over $100 million • $300,000 to pump 26,000 ha of land • If the levee failed in Kerang • Town centre 1.3m under water. • 4,000 people in town with only one road open • Estimated cost $190 million

30. Context: Lessons • Policy, risk and community drivers for Councils to consider climate change • Climate has varied in the past • Climate change increases scale and frequency of change • Future is uncertain and hard to imagine – we can learn from recent extreme events

31. Context • Any questions?

32. Adaptation planning • What is it? • What a fully adapted council looks like • What does the process look like? • How to get there

33. Adaptation planning • For those that have done something, how did you do it?

34. Adaptation planning: What is it? • Planning and developing ways to minimise the negative impacts of changes to climate • Planning and preparedness = reduced risk • Council versus community adaptation • Not mitigation e.g. reducing GHG emissions

35. Adaptation planning: What a fully adapted council looks like • Good practice strategic planning • Include ways to deal with uncertainty • Risk identification and assessment • Embedded into existing frameworks and council plans Principles of best practice adaptation planning: • Now, where, how • Consultation and people asking the right questions • Consider a breadth of information about a community or organisation

36. Adaptation Planning: What a fully adapted council looks like • Climate change considerations integrated into council business, service delivery and thinking • Council’s role is defined, agreed and communicated to stakeholders • Cultural change within business • Recognising and planning for uncertainty • Recognising dynamic and cyclic process i.e. plan, implement, review …

37. Adaptation planning: What a fully adapted council looks like

38. Adaptation planning: What a fully adapted council looks like Current status in Victoria:

39. Adaptation planning: What a fully adapted council looks like

40. Adaptation planning: What a fully adapted council looks like

41. Adaptation planning: What the process looks like

42. Adaptation planning: How to get there • Current circumstances • Vulnerability e.g. % of population >65 years old • Exposure e.g. major towns on floodplains • Service delivery areas

43. Adaptation planning: How to get there • Risk assessment process • Current control measure e.g. plans or infrastructure • Prioritise risks • Established relativity to non-climate risks

44. Adaptation planning: How to get there • Environment and biodiversity • Health sector • Emergency management and planning • Economy • Development infrastructure • Community infrastructure • Council capacity Address potential impacts to service delivery areas:

45. Adaptation planning: How to get there • Treat risk • Remove or reduce the impact e.g. plan or infrastructure • Council can: • Lead, advocate or partner

46. Break out: Part 1 • What are the biggest risks facing your service delivery area? Key question:

47. Break out: Part 2 • What do we need to do? • What support do we need? • What opportunities exist to work together? Key questions:

48. Lunch

49. Report back • What were the top three risks in each of the service delivery areas? • How did you propose to threat these? • What was the number one opportunity to work together?

50. Adaptation planning: How to get there Key needs of council