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transcript
Conference Report
19 March 2015
Conference held at RACV Resort, Trent Jones Drive Cape Schanck, Victoria
from Wednesday 11 to Friday 13 March 2015
Organised by:
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Summary The 2015 Australian Coastal Councils Conference was convened by the National Sea Change Taskforce at the RACV Resort, Cape Schanck, on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, from 11 to 13 March. It was attended by representatives of coastal councils from all states, in addition to members of the coastal research community and representatives of relevant government agencies. Highlights of the 2015 conference included the following: The Hon Lisa Neville MP, the Victorian Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Water, presented a keynote address on the newly-‐elected Victorian State Government’s approach to coastal planning and management and the government’s future coastal policy directions. Dr John Church, CSIRO Fellow with the Centre for Australian Weather and Climate, presented a keynote address on sea level rise and projections for the future. Dr Church was the coordinating lead author for the chapter on sea level rise in the 5th Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Mr Andrew Howe, Senior Demographer, Regional Population Unit, Australian Bureau of Statistics, presented a keynote address on demographic trends in coastal areas and case studies on selected individual coastal communities. Mr Andrew Coghlan, National Manager Emergency Services with Australian Red Cross, made a presentation on the Productivity Commission inquiry into Natural Disaster Funding. The report recommended a number of changes to current funding arrangements, including reducing the Commonwealth share of disaster recovery costs. Professor Barbara Norman, Head of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Canberra, presented the findings of a recent research report that found continuing urban growth and the projected impacts of climate change are likely to expose an increasing number of people in Australia’s coastal areas to the risk of bushfire. Professor Norman also facilitated a workshop on the issue. Ms Kate Sullivan, Director of Planning and Development, presented a paper on an economic report commissioned by the Council, which identified that the surf industry is a key contributor to the local economy. Mr Gary Evershed, CEO of Augusta Margaret River Shire, in Western Australia, presented a paper on the redevelopment of the Margaret River Surfers Point foreshore into what has been described as the ‘best ampitheatre for surfing in the world’. The area had been devastated by fire in November 2011. A Welcome Reception for delegates was held on Wednesday 11 March at the RACV Resort Cape Schanck, and the Conference Dinner was held on Thursday 12 March at the Safety Beach Sailing Club. The dinner included presentation of the 2015 Australian Coastal Awards. A copy of the final program for the 2015 Australian Coastal Councils Conference is provided in the following pages, together with additional information on the presentations made at the event.
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AUSTRALIAN COASTAL COUNCILS CONFERENCE RACV RESORT, CAPE SCHANCK 11-‐13 March 2015
COMMUNIQUÉ
Preamble Representatives of Australian coastal councils and other coastal stakeholders attending the final session of Australian Coastal Councils Conference at Cape Schanck, Victoria, on 13 March 2015, considered the current proposal to curtail the national Census in its existing form and agreed to issue the following communiqué in response to the proposal. Communiqué We call on the Australian Government to retain the National Census in its existing form to ensure that Australia’s councils have access to detailed demographic data which is essential for the future planning and resourcing of their communities. The current national Census provides comprehensive information about where Australians live, their place of birth, the composition of their families and the sort of work they do, which is vital to the task of projecting future population growth and meeting the increase in demand for infrastructure and services. We are particularly concerned that the loss of small area data, which is currently collected in the Census, will significantly affect the capacity of regional councils to track the increase in demand for community services and facilities that is experienced in most coastal communities. This data is critical to ensuring that councils have access to an appropriate share of Financial Assistance Grants, which are adjusted on the basis of Census data, to take into account continuing population growth in Australia’s coastal local government areas. We believe that the alternative method proposed to replace the Census with smaller sample surveys will be inadequate to collect accurate demographic data and to regularly update this data to enable future planning and resource allocation.
The delegates attending the 2015 Australian Coastal Councils Conference call on the Australian Government, in the national interest, to retain the Census in its existing form to enable the Australian Bureau of Statistics to proceed with conducting the next scheduled Census in 2016.
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2015 AUSTRALIAN COASTAL AWARDS
The 2015 Australian Coastal Awards were announced on 12 March at the Australian Coastal Councils Conference, held at Cape Schanck, on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula. The Awards were established in 2014 to acknowledge the achievement of individuals and organisations that have made a significant contribution to the Australian coastal environment, settlements and sustainability. They are intended to raise community awareness of the importance of the coastal zone and to encourage coastal planning and management practitioners to strive for excellence. Barry Sammels, Chair of the National Sea Change Taskforce, said the standard of nominations for the 2015 Australian Coastal Awards was particularly high. “Many of the people who took part in the projects that received awards are not well known public figures,” he said. “They are community volunteers, council officers, researchers and others who are working on these projects behind the scenes, out of public sight. But the work they are doing is vital.” WINNERS -‐ 2015 AUSTRALIAN COASTAL AWARDS Climate Adaptation The Award in this category is made to the Peron Naturaliste Partnership for its integrated and strategic approach to the management and implementation of coastal adaptation in the region from Cape Peron to Cape Naturaliste in the southwest of Western Australia. The partnership represents a collaboration between nine coastal councils in the region and in the view of the judges is an exemplar for how adaptation could be addressed in other Australian coastal regions. The judges noted the partnership was established for the specific purpose of addressing climate change adaptation and that it assists participating councils in implementing effective responses to climate risks including sea level rise, coastal erosion, inundation, fires, extreme heat and loss of biodiversity. Highly commended in the Climate Adaptation category were Eurobodalla Shire Council, Shoalhaven City Council and Whitehead & Associates Environmental Consultants for their entry – South Coast Regional Sea Level Rise Policy and Planning Framework. This commendation acknowledges the initiative of the two councils and their environmental consultant in developing a flexible and adaptive policy response to sea level rise following a decision by the State Government to withdraw existing sea level rise policy in September 2012. The innovative approach adopted by the project partners to deal with the withdrawal of state government guidance on this issue was considered noteworthy by the judges and is being considered for adoption by several other NSW coastal councils. Community Engagement The Award in this category was jointly awarded to the Griffith Centre for Coastal Management for its Coastal Community Engagement Program and to Coastcare Victoria for its Coastcare Victoria Program. The judges noted that these two programs represent significant, on-‐going initiatives that are broad in scope and have involved engagement with communities at an extensive scale. The Griffith Centre operates two community engagement programs: the CoastEd program, now in its 14th year, was developed to increase awareness among children, adults and community groups of the actions needed to protect the coastline of the Gold Coast. The
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BeachCare program, which is now in its 10th year, was developed to provide an opportunity for community volunteers to participate in caring for the region’s prime asset – the 42km stretch of beaches from Paradise Point to Rainbow Bay on the Gold Coast. The other joint award recipient is Coastcare Victoria for its Coastcare Victoria Program, which is now in its 21st year. The program was initiated to provide support to volunteers and community groups involved in coastal management, protection and conservation activities. It was the first State government program set up to support coastal volunteers and was adopted nationally in 1995. There are currently some 20,000 people participating in the program who are supported by four Coastcare facilitators and a State coordinator.
Highly commended in this category were the Nyangumarta Warrarn Aboriginal Corporation and Yamatji Marlpa Aboriginal Corporation for their entry Nyangumarta Warrarn Indigenous Protected Area Planning – Eighty Mile Beach. In a process that commenced five years ago, the Aboriginal Corporations consulted extensively with the traditional owners of an area of land including 110 kms of coastline, stretching between Broome and Port Hedland in north-‐west Western Australia. This process has resulted in a plan to manage and protect the Eighty Mile Beach, which is recognised under the Ramsar Convention as one of the most important habitats for migratory birds in the Asian-‐Australasian flyway. The plan is aimed at addressing key threats, such as unregulated access to sites of cultural significance, and visitor impact on the landscape, plants and animals within the Nyangumarta country, including water bird and flatback turtle nesting sites. An important part of the project is to collect the Nyangumarta people’s knowledge of the local environment so that the knowledge can be used to manage and care for the areas and be passed down to future generations.
Planning and Management – The Award in this category is made to Phillip Island Nature Parks for the entry – Saving Summerland: A Peninsula For The Penguins. In the view of the judges this project, now in its 30th year, has achieved its objective of saving the last remaining colony of penguins on the Phillip Island coastline. In the 1980s, penguins on the Summerland Peninsula were facing extinction as a result of development pressures, loss of habitat, predation by dogs and foxes and weed infestation. The project set out to address these issues through a combination of long-‐term monitoring, an extensive buy-‐back program of residential housing and allotments, conservation of an entire coastal landscape and effective predator control. Penguin population in the colony is now estimated at 32,000 adult birds, the Summerland Housing Estate has been relocated, the habitat has been restored, and there have been no recorded deaths caused by foxes for more than five years. Augusta Margaret River Shire, in Western Australia, was Highly Commended for its entry titled Surfers Point Redevelopment Project. This project represents a significant coastal infrastructure project in the South West region of Western Australia, which has produced what the Association of Surfing Professionals has called ‘the best ampitheatre for surfing in the world’. The Surfers Point Precinct Redevelopment was identified as a priority project in the Margaret River Growth Plan and Economic Development Plan. It was developed in conjunction with the organisers of a pro surfing event to increase capacity to stage major state, national and international surfing events, and to provide improved foreshore infrastructure and enhanced protection of natural habitats. The completion of the project is estimated to have contributed to a 33% increase in visitors from outside the region.
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Research The Award in this category is made to the Griffith Centre for Coastal Management for its role in providing advice on the application of science to coastal management in Queensland. Since commencing operations in 1999, the Centre has produced 170 coastal research reports, 165 research partnerships, and 250 peer-‐reviewed publications. In particular, the judges have noted the significance of the QSurge hazard-‐forecasting tool, which was developed by the centre to enable emergency management officers to assess the storm tide risk hazard during a cyclone event. The challenge for councils in responding to cyclones is to make a decision as early as possible about whether a settlement needs to be evacuated. In the past this decision often had to be made before estimates of storm tide inundation became available. The QSurge tool utilizes high-‐performance computing technology to provide council disaster managers with storm tide inundation at a much earlier phase of the cyclone’s track towards the coast. The tool is of state-‐wide relevance and has the potential to be of national and international significance. CSIRO was Highly Commended for its entry titled Australia-‐wide Marine Debris Project. This three-‐year study which was led by CSIRO in partnership with Earthwatch was the largest survey of marine debris ever undertaken. It has been highly successful in raising community awareness of the need for increased efforts to tackle the threat of marine debris to native wildlife and to marine, coastal and estuarine ecosystems. The survey involved sampling 35,000kms of coastline at 100km intervals. The results of the survey were combined with ocean modelling and wildlife distribution patterns to map the density and distribution of marine rubbish and identify major threats to native wildlife associated with debris. This innovative national partnership has involved the participation of thousands of ‘citizen scientists’, including students and their teachers. Annual Achievement -‐ There were few nominations received in this category and in the view of the judges the nominations received did not fully address the criteria for the award. Accordingly the judges recommended that the award in this category not be made in 2015. It is anticipated that a more representative sample of projects will be nominated in this category in future years.
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WEDNESDAY 11 MARCH 2015 CONFERENCE DAY ONE 09:00 WELCOME and INTRODUCTION – Mayor Barry Sammels, Chair, National Sea
Change Taskforce and Mayor of the City of Rockingham (WA) 09:05 WELCOME FROM VICTORIA'S MARINE TREASURES ‘I sea, I care’ Ambassador program. Presenters – Tiana Atkinson, Amy Stone and
Charlotte Swayn 09:15 INTRODUCTION TO THE REGION
An overview of the local region by Mayor Bev Colomb, Mornington Peninsula Shire Council and Michael Papageorgiou on behalf of Mayor Sandra Mayer, Frankston City Council
9:30 CASE STUDY: Regional Tourism
Presenter – Ms Tracey Cooper, Executive Chair, Mornington Peninsula Regional Tourism Board
9:45 Port Phillip Regional Coastal Adaptation Plan
Presenter -‐ Mr Bernie Cotter, Executive Officer, Association of Bayside Municipalities
10:00 PANEL DISCUSSION: COASTAL ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
Professor Bruce Thom AM, Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists, Emeritus Professor, University of Sydney, Mr Jon Hickman, Chair, Victorian Coastal Council, and Mr Bernie Cotter, Executive Officer, Association of Bayside Municipalities
10:30 Morning tea 11:00 KEYNOTE ADDRESS AND DISCUSSION: SEA LEVEL RISE AND PROJECTIONS FOR
THE FUTURE Presenter -‐ Dr John Church, CSIRO Fellow with the Centre for Australian Weather and Climate Research
11:30 COASTAL RESEARCH FORUM AND DISCUSSION:
The Scope of Liability for decision-‐making in coastal areas: how far do protections extend? Presenter -‐ Dr Justine Bell, TC Beirne School of Law, University of Queensland
Measuring the Social, Cultural and Economic Indicators for the First Gladstone Healthy Harbours Partnership Report Card Presenter -‐ Dr Sean Pascoe, Team Leader – Marine Resource Economics Team, CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere Research
12:30 Lunch CONCURRENT SESSIONS CONCURRENT SESSION ONE-‐ Part 1: COASTAL ADAPTATION 13:30 Bowie Room, RACV Cape Schanck Resort
Managing Coastal Assets and Erosion Management Presenter -‐ Ms Jeska Dee, Team Leader Foreshore, Frankston City Council
Estimating Future Coastal Inundation and Erosion Hazards Presenter – Dr Andrew McCowan, Managing Director, Water Technology Pty Ltd
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Planning for our coastal communities in a changing climate: a pathways approach Presenter – Mrs Ellen Witte, Associate Policy Advisory, SGS Economics & Planning
Volunteer group leading community engagement projects towards coastal adaptation Presenter – Ms Silvia De San Laureano Quiñones, Environment Project Officer, Moyne Shire Council
15:00 Afternoon tea 15.30 CONCURRENT SESSION ONE – Part 2 -‐ PRACTICAL ACTION TO MANAGE
COASTAL CLIMATE RISKS Workshop conducted by Dr Dave Rissik, National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility
17:00 CONCURRENT SESSION ONE CONCLUDES
CONCURRENT SESSION TWO – Field Tour: Western Port Departs 13:30 Hosted by Allan Cowley, Manager Strategic Planning, Mornington Peninsula Shire this tour provided information on coastal issues at sites along the Western Port shoreline. 16:00 CONCURRENT SESSION TWO CONCLUDES
CONCURRENT SESSION THREE – Field Tour: Port Phillip Bay
Departs 13:30 Hosted by Virginia Brook and Neil Daykin, Coastal Planners, Mornington Peninsula Shire this tour provided information on coastal issues at sites along the Port Phillip Bay shoreline. 16:45 CONCURRENT SESSION THREE CONCLUDES 18:45 – 20:30 WELCOME RECEPTION Function Room, RACV Cape Schanck Resort Hosted by Mornington Peninsula Shire and Frankston City Councils the Welcome
Reception showcased of from the Mornington Peninsula Region and premium canapés
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THURSDAY 12 MARCH 2014 -‐ CONFERENCE DAY TWO 09:00 SESSION AND DISCUSSION: COASTAL POPULATIONS: PLANNING FOR THE
FUTURE -‐ Trends in coastal populations with input from the ABS and case studies Presenter – Mr Andrew Howe, Senior Demographer, Regional Population Unit, Australian Bureau of Statistics
09:30 RESEARCH FORUM AND DISCUSSION: CLIMATE ADAPTATION
Developing a Framework for Managing Coastal Climate Risk in Australia Presenter -‐ Dr David Rissik, Deputy Director, National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility
Social, Economic and Institutional Dimensions of Climate Change Adaptation
Presenter – Prof Tim Smith, Director, Sustainability Research Centre, University of the Sunshine Coast
10:10 SESSION AND DISCUSSION: CLIMATE ADAPTATION CASE STUDY Coastal Adaptation – A Cooperative Regional Approach Presenter -‐ Ms Joanne Ludbrook, Climate Change Adaptation Coordinator, Peron Naturaliste Partnership 10:30 Morning tea 11:00 SESSION AND DISCUSSION: MANAGING AND FUNDING NATURAL DISASTERS IN
COASTAL AUSTRALIA Presenter -‐ Mr Andrew Coghlan, National Manager Emergency Services, Australian Red Cross
11:30 RESEARCH FORUM AND DISCUSSION: Presentations and panel discussion on research on coastal Australia
Overview of national research programs relevant to coastal councils Presenter -‐ Dr Andy Steven, Research Director, CSIRO Coastal, Oceans & Atmosphere Flagship
Slipping through the net: the impact of incremental development on the built and natural environments of coastal towns Presenter – Dr David Beynon, School of Architecture and Built Environment, Deakin University
Planning and bushfire risk in a changing climate Presenter – Prof Barbara Norman, University of Canberra
12:30 SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING – National Sea Change Taskforce 12:30 Lunch CONCURRENT SESSIONS 13:30 CONCURRENT SESSION FOUR – Part One: COASTAL MANAGEMENT
Development of Frankston Coastal Management Plan Presenter – Ms Simone Bonella, Leisure Planner, Frankston City Council
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Check list for Environmental Governance of Coasts Presenter – Dr Janette Shaw, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania
Beach System Ecoservices, Economic Value and Coastal Management
Presenter -‐ Dr Boyd Blackwell, Research Fellow, University of New England
Coastal Planning “Matters” Presenter – Ms Virginia Brook, Strategic Planner – Coastal, Mornington Peninsula Shire Council
15:00 Afternoon tea 15:30 CONCURRENT SESSION FOUR – Part 2 -‐ PLANNING AND BUSHFIRE RISK IN A
CHANGING CLIMATE WORKSHOP Conducted by Prof Barbara Norman, University of Canberra
17:00 CONCURRENT SESSION FOUR CONCLUDES
CONCURRENT SESSION FIVE – Field Tour: Frankston Departs 13:15 Hosted by Frankston City Council this tour will provide information on coastal issues at sites along the Frankston area shoreline. 17:00 Arrive RACV Cape Schanck Resort 19.00 GALA CONFERENCE DINNER including the presentation of the 2015 AUSTRALIAN
COASTAL AWARDS Safety Beach Sailing Club
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FRIDAY 13 MARCH 2014 -‐ CONFERENCE DAY THREE 09:00 KEYNOTE ADDRESS AND DISCUSSION: VICTORIA’S APPROACH TO COASTAL
MANAGEMENT AND PLANNING The Hon Lisa Neville MP, Victorian Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Water
09:25 SESSION AND DISCUSSION: HOW TO OBTAIN COASTAL POLICY STABILITY -‐
TWENTY YEARS OF THE VICTORIAN COASTAL MANAGEMENT ACT 1995 Presenters -‐ Dr Geoff Wescott, Associate Professor, School of Life and
Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, and Mr Jon Hickman, Chair, Victorian Coastal Council
10:10 SESSION AND DISCUSSION: ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CASE STUDY
Surf Coast Surfing Industry Report Presenter -‐ Ms Kate Sullivan, Director of Planning and Environment, Surf Coast Shire Council
10:30 Morning tea 11:00 COASTAL ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
Climate Change Adaptation Projects: A Local and International Perspective
Presenter – Mr Oliver Moles, Director Sustainable Development, Moyne Shire Council
Local government management challenges in protecting and preserving Indigenous cultural heritage values along the coast Presenter – Mr Adam Magennis, Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Officer, Mornington Peninsula Shire Council Coastal Caravan Parks and Economic Benefits of Climate Change Adaptation Presenter -‐ Dr Boyd Blackwell, Research Fellow, University of New England
The Phoenix Rises: Margaret River Surfers Point Case Study – Mr Gary Evershed, Chief Executive Officer, Shire of Augusta Margaret River
12:30 Lunch 13:30 FINAL SESSION AND DISCUSSION: COASTAL ISSUES EXCHANGE Q & A
AND 2015 CONFERENCE COMMUNIQUÉ A forum for the exchange of relevant information between representatives of coastal councils, government agencies, coastal researchers and others. The session will also consider adoption of the 2015 Conference Communiqué
15:00 CONFERENCE CONCLUDES
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2015 Australian Coastal Councils Conference CONFERENCE DAY ONE – Wednesday, 11 March 2015 Welcome – Barry Sammels, Chair – National Sea Change Taskforce At the commencement of the conference, Barry Sammels acknowledged the Boonwurrung and Bunurong members of the Kulin Nation, who have traditional connections for the land on which the meeting was taking place. On behalf of the National Sea Change Taskforce he welcomed delegates to the Australian Coastal Councils Conference for 2015 and said it is an annual highlight of the year for the Taskforce and its members. He said over the course of the next three days delegates would be discussing some of the issues that are currently facing the coastal communities our councils represent, including:
• The latest sea level rise projections, which coastal councils will need to factor into their future coastal planning decisions;
• Proposed changes to the current arrangements for natural disaster funding, which have been recommended by the Productivity Commission;
• Identifying the priority issues that will form the basis of our future advocacy efforts; and
• Updates on the major developments affecting coastal planning and management that have occurred over the past year.
He said one of the highlights of the event would be the announcement of the winners of the 2015 Australian Coastal Awards and that another highlight was a new session, called the coastal issues exchange. This is being introduced for two important reasons. Firstly he said it was designed to make the most of the opportunities for networking among coastal councils that the National Sea Change Taskforce provides as if you are facing a difficult challenge in your local government area, the chances were that other coastal councils are facing similar difficulties and that he Taskforce provides an opportunity to share ideas about these common problems and possibly find new, effective ways of dealing with them. The second reason, which is equally important, was that the session presents an opportunity to identify the current priority coastal issues. These issues then become the starting point for the process of developing an updated policy agenda, which will form the basis for the coastal advocacy campaign in the period leading up to the next election. Barry Sammels said this highlights one of the major differences between the Australian Coastal Councils Conference and other national conferences is that it sought to focus on achieving outcomes. He said as a result of previous conferences, for example:
• The Taskforce commissioned a study to explore new methodologies for gathering data on tourists and other non-‐residents in coastal areas;
• It commissioned legal advice to help member councils to better manage their legal risks in relation to climate change policy; and
• Also commissioned a research study to help guide coastal councils on how to retain the values and character of their local communities.
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Barry said each one of these initiatives came about as a result of discussions that took place at the annual conference and also illustrate the benefits of taking collective action as the costs involved in commissioning this sort of specialist research work is sometimes beyond the capacity of individual councils but by pooling resources and sharing the costs, it is possible to commission this sort of work for the benefit of the individual councils taking part in the project and for the benefit of coastal councils generally.
He acknowledged the support received from a number of organisations towards the organisation of this conference, and specifically acknowledged: Frankston City Council Mornington Peninsula Shire Council CSIRO Welcome from Victoria’s Marine Treasures Guests were welcomed by representatives of the ‘I sea I care ambassador program, which is a social marketing tool developed by the Dolphin Research Institute. The program is aimed at building a strong sense of stewardship of the southern coasts and waterways among school age children. The ‘i sea, i care’ program is supported by organisations including Melbourne Water, six coastal councils, Catholic Education, the business community and more than 100 schools. Previous i sea i care ambassadors have now graduated and many of them are preparing to become the next generation of environmental managers. The three ambassadors involved in the presentation were Charlotte Swayn, Amy Stone and Tiana Atkinson. Introduction to the region Mayor Bev Colomb welcomed delegates to the region on behalf of Mornington Peninsula Shire and in particular to the beautiful and extensive coasts and beaches of the Peninsula. She acknowledged the Boon wurrung and Bunurong, members of the Kulin Nation, who have traditional connections for the land on which the meeting was being held and acknowledged her Councillor colleagues, conference organisers, and all delegates, to what promises to be a great and memorable conference experience. She said the importance of the coasts, for residents and visitors alike, cannot be underestimated in terms of their value in relation to:
• The natural environment • Cultural heritage • Recreational amenity and • Their contribution to a unique ‘sense of place’
Mayor Colomb said with 192 kms or 10% of Victoria’s coastline, managing these values for their future protection is vital, given the projected growth in local and regional populations and the likely increase in demand for coastal recreation in coming decades. The Mornington Peninsula is often described as Melbourne’s playground. The Peninsula is Victoria’s most popular informal recreation area; it features magnificent landscapes, coasts and beaches that are of State significance and which attract 7 million visitors every year. She said the Peninsula is also a very popular holiday destination, attracting visitors from across the state, around the country and all over the world. Annually, tourism on the Peninsula contributes $1.6 Billion to the $11 Billion local economy and is a significant employer. In partnership, the Mornington Peninsula Shire, Frankston City Council and
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Tourism Victoria formed the Mornington Peninsula Regional Tourism Board to support and promote this important industry. The Regional Tourism Board last year developed the Regional Destination Management Plan (DMP) to help steer tourism in the region, and the next speaker, Tracey Cooper, would speak further on the plan shortly. The Shire’s tourism attractions have been recognised both nationally, with winning entries in the 2014 Victorian Tourism Awards, and internationally, as an inclusion in the National Geographic’s Top 20 ‘must see’ places of 2015 on its esteemed annual Best of the World list. In addition, the Mornington Peninsula is a popular recreational boating destination and is home to the largest concentration of registered recreational boats in the State of Victoria. In the context of increasing visitors, regional resident populations and the increasing demand for recreational opportunities, there is a need to balance the likely increase in demand for facilities and coastal recreation opportunities with the important environmental and social/cultural values of the coast. Council’s four year Strategic Plan, which expresses Council’s vision, goals and priorities, had identified ‘Enhancing the coastal experience’ as its Goal 5. Mayor Colomb said the Mornington Peninsula Shire Council recognised its coastal responsibilities in many ways, including:
• a commitment to a dedicated coastal planning function within the Shire (coastal planners);
• active contributions to the development of coastal policy through advocacy and liaison with State Government agencies;
• active participation in the Association of Bayside Municipalities; and • the ongoing commitment to the maintenance of the coastline.
She said with the increase in resident and visitor populations and demands on the coast, a number of critical issues are emerging which will require careful planning, management and resourcing. Included amongst these are:
• a clear, State-‐wide policy and planning framework to provide guidance for decision-‐makers;
• coastal protection and boating infrastructure renewal; and • funding for the implementation of climate change adaptation works
Mayor Colomb said she looked forward to sharing some interesting and energising discussions over the next few days and I hope you take the opportunity of your visit to the Peninsula, to enjoy some of our picturesque wine and food attractions, as well as enjoying our magnificent coasts. Michael Papageorgiou, of Frankston City Council, welcomed delegates on behalf of Mayor Sandra Mayer, of Frankston City, who was an apology for the event. He said Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula are coastal jewels of the region, and he hoped the delegates would thoroughly enjoy their stay. He said coastal environments are important to our communities for many reasons – be they health, fitness, recreation, tourism, business or the sheer natural beauty they share with us. But our coastlines are constantly facing challenges, both man-‐made and from natural forces, so events like today are vitally important to share the latest knowledge.
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Frankston City’s coastline stretches about 13km along the eastern shore of Port Phillip, around 40kms south-‐east of Melbourne. Life Saving Victoria has listed Frankston as the state’s most visited beach the past two years. The easy access via freeway, foreshore facilities, award winning visitor information centre and picturesque location draw people from around Melbourne. Michael Papageorgiou said that level of traffic creates its fair share of issues, and requires a proactive response from Council He said the City’s approach to cleaning the beach and removing litter from beach and foreshore areas, along with foreshore rangers’ partnerships with local community groups, has helped Frankston win Victorian Clean Beach Award in 2012 and be a finalist in 2013. Michael Papageorgiou said the City recognised the need to constantly improve our approach, and this is in the form of a Coastal Management Plan, which is currently being developed. The key focuses of this plan would be how to maximise usage of the beach by visitors and locals, and maximise its potential for economic growth, while maintaining resilient natural systems and its natural beauty. An important part of that will be developing infrastructure that enhances the attractiveness of the area, encourages usage of the foreshore, but protects vulnerable areas He said another important aspect is understanding how we can protect potentially vulnerable areas from both man-‐made and natural threats and developing a coordinated, consistent plan across multiple Council departments and government agencies that delivers the required results. He said there were many other challenges which delegates would be familiar with, such as:
• the best way to provide infrastructure for recreational boating without adversely impacting on the coastline
• providing modern facilities for the local Coast Guard to conduct search and rescue • responding to storm damage and fluctuating sand migration and • responding to the resulting beach and dune erosion that can damage both the
functionality and health of our foreshore Michael Papageorgiou said the City’s beach is its most precious and valuable asset, and this would no doubt be the case for many delegates. CASE STUDY: Regional Tourism Delegates heard that tourism is one of Australia’s most important industry sectors and represents a key segment of the Australian economy, contributing more than $35 billion a year to our Gross Domestic Product. It makes a particularly important contribution to regional Australia, with 46 cents in every tourism dollar spent outside the capital cities, and Coastal regions for many years have been focused on capturing their fair share of these tourism dollars. Ms Tracey Cooper, the Executive Chair of the Mornington Peninsula Regional Tourism Board, presented a paper to delegates on current visitor numbers to the region and the Board’s marketing and product strategies.
Port Phillip Regional Coastal Adaptation Plan Mr Bernie Cotter, the Executive Officer of the Association of Bayside Municipalities, which represents the coastal councils that border on Port Phillip Bay in Melbourne, provided an
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outline of a new study which the Association has commissioned in partnership with State Government agencies and other relevant stakeholders. The study is focused on the sort of changes Port Phillip is likely to experience over the course of the next 40 to 50 years, in the potential impacts of population growth, climate change, economic development and demand for recreational use during the period leading up to the year 2070. PANEL DISCUSSION: Coastal Issues and Challenges Alan Stokes, of the National Sea Change Taskforce, introduced the session which he said would provide an assessment of current coastal challenges from a panel of experts and from delegates representing coastal councils. The first speaker on the panel was Professor Bruce Thom AM, a member of the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists and Emeritus Professor at the University of Sydney. Panel members to follow were Mr. Jon Hickman, the Chair of the Victorian Coastal Council, and Mr. Bernie Cotter, Executive Officer of the Association of Bayside Municipalities. KEYNOTE ADDRESS: Sea Level Rise and Projections for the Future Delegates heard that one issue all coastal councils have been attempting to deal with over recent years is the prospect of sea level rise associated with projected climate change impacts. It is a hot topic that has generated much public debate and considerable time, energy and funding on the part of all levels of government. It has been a particularly difficult issue for the local government sector to come to grips with. Dr John Church is an Oceanographer and a CSIRO Fellow with the Centre for Australian Weather and Climate Research and was the coordinating lead author for the chapter on sea level rise in the 5th Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). He has published widely across a broad range of topics in oceanography. At the release of the 5th IPCC report he said sea level is going to rise more than projected in the previous 4th Assessment Report, with 98cms now projected to be the top of the range of scenarios of sea level rise by 2100 and the bottom of the range now projected to be more than 40cms. Dr Church’s address outlined the implications of the latest IPPC findings and the revised projections of sea level over the years to come. (The PPT presentation by Dr. Church is available elsewhere on this web site). The Scope of liability for decision-‐making in coastal areas: how far to protections extend? Coastal councils around Australia come under considerable pressure from developers and state governments to allow residential developments in areas that are considered to be prime coastal locations. As the responsible authority, however, the council is required to take a risk management approach to these planning decisions in order to make sure that people and their property are not placed at risk from the climate change impacts that scientists warn are inevitable. Dr Justine Bell, a lecturer in the TC Beirne School of Law at the University of Queensland, presented a paper assessing how far existing legislative limitations of liability will go to protect councils making decisions in relation to development applications in what may be considered hazardous areas. Dr Bell recently published a book on the topic, titled Climate Change and Coastal Development Law in Australia.
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CONCURRENT SESSION ONE-‐ Part 1: COASTAL ADAPTATION Managing Coastal Assets and Erosion Management Ms. Jeska Dee, the Foreshore Team Leader with Frankston City Council, presented a paper outlining adaptation measures adopted by local councils to coastal erosion and the threat of climate change impacts. She began with a case study, which is relatively close at hand. Jeska told delegates that the Foreshore Reserves at Frankston and Seaford are 11km long and support the largest, contiguous stretch of coastal vegetation within metropolitan Melbourne. Most of the Reserve is considered to be of regional significance while a small portion is considered to be of state significance. She said the Seaford Foreshore is a prime asset attracting many visitors to the area, but this stretch of beach has recently been seriously affected by extreme coastal erosion, which resulted in the collapse of dunes and damage to the Seaford Lifesaving Club emergency access ramp. Meanwhile, the Frankston foreshore experienced extreme storm surges and high tides causing erosion around Frankston Waterfront which led in turn to the partial collapse of the Frankston Pier. Estimating Future Coastal Inundation and Erosion Hazards Dr Andrew McCowan, Managing Director, Water Technology Pty Ltd presented a paper outlining the extent to which coastal hazards are already evident in coastal areas and how sensitive are these hazards are to future sea level rise. The paper was based on a multi-‐disciplinary study of three key locations along the Victorian coastline – the Gippsland Lakes and Ninety Mile Beach, Western Port and Phillip Island. These study areas were considered because they are considered to be at particular risk associated with the effects of climate change. Planning for our coastal communities in a changing climate: a pathways approach Mrs Ellen Witte, Associate Policy Advisory, SGS Economics & Planning, presented a paper concerning adaptation measures and when they can be considered successful. Is it when all potentially vulnerable properties are protected from coastal risk or is it when the beaches and natural values are maintained? Ellen Witte outlined the pathways approach the firm had developed based on work SGS has undertaken for 12 local councils in Tasmania and Western Australia. The methodology is aimed at achieving an integrated, whole-‐of-‐community approach to planning in coastal communities. Volunteer group leading community engagement projects towards coastal adaptation Ms Silvia De San Laureano Quiñones, Environment Project Officer, Moyne Shire Council, presented a paper on the important role volunteer groups play in coastal care and management around Australia. She said the scope of volunteer group activities is continuing to expand. At Port Fairy, a small coastal town on the south west coast of Victoria, for example, a community group called the Port Fairy Coastal Group has been working with the local Moyne Shire Council to mitigate the effects of coastal erosion on an old municipal tip and night soil site. The volunteers involved have made a major contribution to managing the issue. CONCURRENT SESSION ONE – Part 2 -‐ PRACTICAL ACTION TO MANAGE COASTAL CLIMATE RISKS Workshop conducted by Dr Dave Rissik, National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility.
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THURSDAY 12 MARCH 2014 -‐ CONFERENCE DAY TWO PLENARY SESSION: Coastal Populations: Planning for the Future – Mr Andrew Howe is Senior Demographer with the Regional Population Unit of the Australian Bureau of Statistics. He delivered an address outlining changes that are currently occurring in our coastal populations. He told delegates that coastal settlements not only have consistently high rates of growth -‐ frequently higher than the national average -‐ they are also at the forefront of the ageing of the national population. RESEARCH FORUM AND DISCUSSION: Climate Adaptation Developing a Framework for Managing Coastal Climate Risk in Australia Delegates heard there is an ever-‐increasing volume of advice, research studies and tools becoming available to help planners and decision-‐makers to better manage the risks associated with climate change. Little of this information, however, is integrated or delivered in a way that can be readily used by councils, particularly those with limited resources. Dr Dave Rissik, Deputy Director, of the National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility (NCCARF), said it is for that reason that NCCARF is currently developing a framework for understanding coastal climate risk – in particular the risks associated with sea level rise and storm surge. The framework is being designed to help coastal decisions makers take practical actions to prepare for and to manage those climate risks. Social, Economic and Institutional Dimensions of Climate Change Adaptation Professor Timothy Smith, Director, Sustainability Research Centre, University of the Sunshine Coast presented a paper on a new Social, Economic and Institutional Dimensions Research Network, which commenced operations in January this year. He said it represents a consortium of five universities and the Girringun Aboriginal Corporation, and is led by the University of the Sunshine Coast. It is one of four adaptation research networks which are part of a new phase of activities initiated by the National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility. Professor Smith said the network will be structured into themes that address the specific concerns of industry, government, indigenous communities and NGOs.
CLIMATE ADAPTATION CASE STUDY: Coastal Adaptation – A Cooperative Regional Approach Ms Joanne Ludbrook is the Climate Change Adaptation Coordinator with the Peron Naturaliste Partnership in Western Australia. She said the Peron Naturaliste Partnership is a collaboration involving nine coastal councils along the southwest coast of Western Australia, from Cape Peron to Cape Naturaliste. It was established in recognition of the potential vulnerability of the coastline to climate risks that prompted the councils to come together to establish the partnership, four years ago, in 2011. Joanne Ludbrook said the objective of the partnership is to provide a regional mechanism to help facilitate effective and timely adaptation responses to climate risks. Here to tell us more is Joanne Ludbrook, the coordinator of the Peron Naturaliste Partnership. SESSION AND DISCUSSION: Managing and Funding Natural Disasters in Coastal Australia Mr Andrew Coghlan is National Manager, Emergency Services, with Australian Red Cross, which is one of the organisations participating in the Australian Business Roundtable for Disaster Resilience and Safer Communities. Other participants include the Insurance Australian Group, Westpac, Optus Australia, Munich Re and Investa Property Group. Andrew Coghlan’s paper outlined how the Business Roundtable had conducted extensive research and made comprehensive submissions in relation to a Productivity Commission inquiry into Natural Disaster Funding.
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He said the inquiry was established by the Commonwealth Government to report on a broad range of issues including -‐ the effectiveness and sustainability of current arrangements for funding natural disasters, risk management measures available to asset owners and the interaction between Commonwealth natural disaster funding arrangements and relevant Commonwealth/State financial arrangements. A draft report by the Commission released in September caused concern among councils and State Governments with recommendations to reduce the Commonwealth share of disaster recovery costs from 75% to 50%, and to increase the allocation of funding for pre-‐disaster mitigation measures and increasing the threshold for ‘small disaster criterion’ payments from $240,000 to $2 million. Each of the recommendations would have a substantial impact on the local government sector and on state and territory governments. RESEARCH FORUM AND DISCUSSION: Presentations and panel discussion Overview of national research programs relevant to coastal councils Dr Andy Steven is Research Director, CSIRO Coastal, Oceans & Atmosphere Flagship, presented a paper outlining the urban coastal environments whitepaper of the National Marine Science Plan, which sets out the ten priority science challenges and strategic research needed to enhance the on-‐going management of coastal ecosystems. He told delegates that Australia’s urban coastal environments provide economic, cultural and social wealth, as well as being the location for much of the nation’s residential, commercial, industrial and transport infrastructure. Our coasts also provide for many of our recreational, aesthetic and cultural needs as well as playing a critical role in primary production, nutrient cycling and water filtration. Dr Steven said one of the major challenges for policy makers and coastal managers is balancing these competing uses and their cumulative impacts. Slipping through the net: the impact of incremental development on the built and natural environments of coastal towns Dr David Beynon, of the School of Architecture and Built Environment, Deakin University, presented a paper on a case study which examined the impact of incremental change to the built and natural environment of a coastal community. Dr Beynon discussed the sort of impact this incremental development tends to have on the environments of coastal towns. He said residents in coastal areas are aware, and often concerned, at the impact of sudden and dramatic change in their communities, such as a major new large development, which is radically different in scale and style to existing, neighbouring structures. But he pointed out that change is not always associated with single large developments. Often it occurs as a result of a more gradual, incremental process, which sometimes takes place, unnoticed, over several years. Planning and bushfire risk in a changing climate Prof Barbara Norman, Foundation Chair of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Canberra, outlined the findings of a report titled Planning and Bushfire Risk in a Changing Climate. She told delegates that many coastal areas around Australia are particularly susceptible to the risk of bushfires, and as the recent report by a research team at the University of Canberra had found, continuing urban growth and the projected impacts of climate change are likely to expose even more people in these areas to the risk of bushfire.
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The report noted that the connection between urban and regional planning and bushfire risk management has been highlighted in sixteen major bushfire inquiries in Australia conducted since 1939. Despite this, there has been only relatively minor research into the contribution of planning to minimise risk and the connection between planning and emergency management in relation to bushfires. CONCURRENT SESSION FOUR – Part One: COASTAL MANAGEMENT Development of Frankston Coastal Management Plan Ms Simone Bonella, Leisure Planner, Frankston City Council, presented a paper outlining the development of Frankston City Council’s first Coastal Management Plan. She said key issues affecting management of the Frankston Foreshore include how to address competing and conflicting demands for use; maximising appeal to visitors while maintaining resilient natural systems; connecting Frankston’s commercial and transport hub with the waterfront; and resourcing new infrastructure and ongoing maintenance to ensure community and visitor expectations are met. Check list for Environmental Governance of Coasts Dr Janette Shaw is an associate with the Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies at the University of Tasmania. She presented a paper proposing a checklist for environmental governance of coasts which can be used as a guide to assess progress in coastal environmental management. She said the Australian Government’s State of the Environment report, released in 2011, recognised that ‘our coasts, as well as being some of our most iconic natural areas, are some of Australia’s most heavily settled areas’. She said the report went on to note that a ‘business as usual’ approach to continuing environmental degradation in coastal regions is likely to lead to undesirable outcomes. Beach System Ecoservices, Economic Value and Coastal Management Dr Boyd Blackwell, is a Research Fellow at the University of New England. He told delegates that the economic values of the beach have so far not been adequately assessed. In his view, beaches are becoming increasingly subject to a ‘coastal squeeze’ between urban development on the one hand and rising sea levels on the other. In a recent paper prepared in conjunction with researchers at the Australian Museum and the University of the Sunshine Coast he found that ecological economics need to play a mainstream role in developing coastal zone policy. Coastal Planning Matters Ms Virginia Brook is Strategic Planner, Coastal with Mornington Peninsula Shire Council. She told delegates that managing cultural, recreational economic and other values on the coast is vital. She said there was increasing demand being placed on the coastal areas by visitor, regional and resident populations. She presented examples of local coastal planning initiatives and the importance of strategic partnerships to illustrate the point that ‘coastal planning matters’, and said that integrated coastal management and planning is vital to addressing the complexities of the dynamic coastal environment. CONCURRENT SESSION FOUR – Part 2 -‐ PLANNING AND BUSHFIRE RISK IN A CHANGING CLIMATE Workshop conducted by Prof Barbara Norman, University of Canberra
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FRIDAY 13 MARCH 2014 -‐ CONFERENCE DAY THREE
KEYNOTE ADDRESS: Victoria’s Approach to Coastal Management and Planning The Hon Lisa Neville MP, Victorian Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Water, presented a keynote address on the recently-‐elected ALP State Government’s approach to Coastal Policy. The following is a transcript of her address.
“Last week, Australia’s fourth intergenerational report was released. The Commonwealth Government produces the intergenerational report every five years with the purpose to assess the long-term sustainability and impact of current and future Government policies. The previous report in 2010 said ‘if climate change is not addressed, the consequences for the economy, water availability, and Australia’s unique environment will be severe.’ It went on to say ‘success in addressing the economic and fiscal challenges of an ageing population would be hollow if we cannot also move to an environmentally-sustainable economy.’ The 2015 update, suggests that climate change is all of a sudden no longer an issue. And the Commonwealth will roll out of the Emissions Reduction Fund will fix all of our unanswered problems. Now, if only that was the case. I am genuinely astounded that a highly regarded report which is designed to provide a projection in to the future – fails to acknowledge one of the greatest threats our nation faces – climate change. Media reports focused on workforce participation, the Commonwealth Budget and Australia’s ageing population. As policy makers, we have a tendency to always focus on the growth and development of our economy, but if we aren’t doing all we can to tackle climate change we will not see our economy advance. Since November, the Victorian Government is currently working hard to put climate change back on the agenda, after 4 years of inaction. One of my first actions as Minister was to visit our climate change team in the department to tell them that they were allowed to start talking about it again and could stop using the phrase ‘climate variability’ and call it what it is – climate change. This action is going to be a major factor in ensuring we are doing all we can to protect our coasts. Be l la r ine For over 10 years I have represented a coastal seat, Victoria’s Bellarine Peninsula, South of Geelong. So, I have also seen first-hand the real challenges councils and communities face regarding coastal planning. The Bellarine is an incredibly unique part of Victoria’s coast, it is the beginning of the great ocean road, it forms the western side of the entrance to Port Phillip Bay and has within it environmentally significant RAMSAR listed wetlands. I think we often forget how lucky we are to have areas like the Bellarine Peninsula all around Australia, which are areas of environmental importance and natural beauty, but they are also important to our economy and home to industries like tourism and seafood. They are also home to the vast majority of Australians. 10 years ago, 85% of us lived within 50kms of the coast. Today, this number continues to increase, because our beautiful coasts are becoming increasingly more popular to families. In Victoria, we have 2000km of coastline. We have 23 councils along Victoria’s coast and Victorians alone make, on average, 23 visits to the coast each year. However, this popularity presents many challenges for
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local councils, as well as state and federal governments. We all have to deal with issues such as over development, growing population and impact of climate change. Coasts The Andrews Government is currently working on how we best manage Victoria’s iconic coastal areas, as well as what we can do to tackle climate change, collaboratively. Firstly, we are looking at how we best manage our coastal assets. 96 percent of Victoria’s coast is in public hands, so managing our coastal areas isn’t new but we understand we need to do a better job. We first started doing this in Victoria in 1898, with the beginnings of what became the Wilsons Promontory National Park. Daniel Andrews and I went to the election with a commitment to improve our coastal management and oversight and provide leadership to the various land managers that take stewardship of these areas. By establishing a Marine and Coastal Act, we will bring together both the management and protection of these areas under the one act. This new legislation, for the first time, will look at the many acts and policies that oversee the management of marine, coastal and bay areas, acknowledging that each environment is interlinked. Each area has different Committees of Management, some span several different council areas – all of which are making decisions, in the best of interests, but independently of each other. This will provide better protections for land use around coastal areas, from development to recreational, tourism and agricultural activities. Acknowledging that this along with climate change, is the greatest threat to Australia’s coastal areas. Victoria has a proud history of being a leader in coastal management and planning. The Victorian Coastal Strategy, now in its fourth iteration, has provided a stable, overarching policy framework for the management and planning of our coast. We are currently considering how the current strategy can best support our commitment to improve coastal management and protection through the establishment of a new Marine and Coastal Act. The Coastal Strategy has also been a vital tool for ensuring all coastal policy and planning considers impacts of climate change, such as rising sea levels. The strategy includes a clear benchmark which requires that we plan for sea level rise of no less than 0.8m by 2100. C l imate Change We all know that climate change is not an ‘if’ but a ‘when’. It is already happening, and it is threatening to irreversibly impact our communities and the environment we live in – and as coastal communities know, it will hit us hardest. Science tells us that average temperatures will continue to increase. There will be longer hotter and dryer spells, but also more intense, extreme rain. Bushfires will be hotter and harder to contain within seasons that span more of our yearly calendar. For our coasts, sea levels will keep rising, even if we manage to keep global temperature rises to just 2 degrees. Scientists have been telling us for years that Climate change will have devastating impacts on coastal communities. In fact, it already has. Increased ocean temperatures see the decline of aquatic flora and fauna, diminishing ecosystems and depleting species populations, damaging both the ecosystems and the communities that rely on them. Elsewhere in the country we have seen bigger, more ferocious storms and cyclones battering our towns and threatening lives. Increased sea levels means more frequent flooding of coastal and low-lying areas, coastal erosion, destroying beaches and higher storm surges.
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All of these impacts not only affect the environment, they affect our livelihood and the way we live with our families and loved ones. We simply can’t ignore climate change any more. As I said, we are putting climate change back on the agenda in Victoria. In the absence of national leadership on this critical issue, we understand as a State Government we must take the lead on Climate Change and are committed to reinvigorating climate action within our state, and restoring Victoria’s status as a leader in Australia and internationally. Jay Wetherill’s Government in South Australia has pushed hard on introducing more renewable energy, and the NSW Government has been innovative by investing energy efficiency and basing their policies in firm science – this despite being from the same party and state as Tony Abbott. Under the previous Government however, Victoria has been left behind. Councils across Victoria and throughout the country have been doing the heavy lifting, the work on the ground, as have countless community groups, driving community windfarms, coming up with models to tackle climate change and build new economies. But they need leadership – leadership that hasn’t happened in Victoria, or at the national level, for years. Compared with the decisive action that followed the global financial crisis, there has been very little action on climate change – in fact support for action has slipped by 20 percent in the last four years. The reasons for this are many, but we need to recognise that people have a hard to time accepting possible solutions to a problem that is essentially long term one. In fact, we find it easy to ignore or disregard the very clear science that says the problem is no longer a long term one – it is right here, right now. Communities, who are taking action on climate change, need to know their action is part of a bigger picture. We want to create that bigger picture.We must recognise that we have been here before. We tried to create that bigger picture federally and it fell over. What needs to change now is that we need to provide not just a political strategy to roll out with our policies to tackle climate change, but also create a community conversation. Victoria has a proud history of leading the way on tough, often divisive and long term issues. Victoria, introduced the world’s first seatbelt laws in the 70s. Over a decade ago, The Victorian State Government became world leaders on water conservation and water policy. These examples took leadership, talking with our communities we showed that we all had a part to play, from the individual to the largest company and that together we could all make a significant impact. And now we find ourselves faced with a very similar scenario. Another massive problem, climate change, that the scientists tell us will impact every part of our community, on each part of our way of life, on our food supply and our water supply –what can individuals possibly do to tackle such a massive problem? It was a Labor Government who introduced Victoria’s first Climate Change Act . And we are currently reviewing legislation and programs and whether a state carbon emissions reduction target would be effective. We’re also refocusing the role of Sustainability Victoria to assist communities to take practical action locally and assessing the need for additional policies and programs. What we need is not just policy platform and government programs, but talk with our communities across the state to help co-create the behavioural change we need throughout the community. By really working with the community and those close to them – which is to say, councils like you – policy makers can gain a clear understanding of the beliefs that underpin current behaviour, what is preventing them from changing and what positive behaviour is collectively possible. We would not be in the position we are without your work and resilience. The work of local government has established an invaluable foundation for us to lead from and implement a strong model for climate change action. State and Federal Governments need to recognise this, collaborate and strengthen the work councils
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are doing, not just to assist in rolling out the policy of the government of the day, but to better engage and understand the community. That way when we take action on our changing climate, we take it together. We understand that the best way to protect our coasts is collaboration and we will continue to work with councils and communities in doing so.”
HOW TO OBTAIN COASTAL POLICY STABILITY -‐ Twenty years of the Victorian Coastal Management Act 1995 Dr Geoff Wescott, Associate Professor, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, a member of the Victorian Coastal Council and President of the Australian Coastal Society, and Mr Jon Hickman, is the Chair of the Victorian Coastal Council. They presented a report on Victoria’s Coastal Management Act, which had been enacted by the State Government in 1995, commencing with Geoff Wescott, who chaired the Coastal Reference Group which made the recommendation to establish the Act to the then Minister Mark Birrell. Geoff Wescott outlined the background and history of the policy framework. He said it had survived three different governments, several government departmental changes (planning, management, fisheries, private-‐public land), and four iterations of the Victorian Coastal Strategy. Jon Hickman, the Chair of the Victorian Coastal Council, described the current operation of the Act and outlined potential changes to the Act and structure of coastal governance and management that could be considered in order to address contemporary policy issues and to ensure that governing legislation is ‘fit for purpose’ for the next 20 years. SESSION AND DISCUSSION: Economic Development Case Study Surf Coast Surfing Industry Report Ms Kate Sullivan is Director of Planning and Environment, Surf Coast Shire Council, on Victoria’s south western coastline. She presented a paper on a recent economic report commissioned by Surf Coast Shire Council, which identified that the surf industry is a key contributor to the local economy, generating approximately 25% of the Shire’s industry value and more than 2,000 FTE jobs. She said the report traced the history of the local surf industry back to the late 1960s, when major retail brands Rip Curl and Quiksilver commenced operations at Torquay. Kate Sullivan said the report noted that the council has adopted The Home of Australian Surfing as a brand, and recommended a number of measures to provide additional support the industry. COASTAL ISSUES AND CHALLENGES Climate Change Adaptation Projects: A Local and International Perspective This paper was originally scheduled to be presented by Ebony Perrin, Environment Services Team Leader, with Moyne Shire Council. Unfortunately, however, Ms Perrin had to leave the conference for family reasons. The paper was delivered instead by Mr Oliver Moles, Director Sustainable Development, Moyne Shire Council. Oliver Moles told delegates that Ebony Perrin had received a scholarship from the Municipal Engineering Foundation of Victoria to participate in an international study tour to investigate how other organisations plan and adapt to climate change. The paper explored the impact of climate change on the cities of Miami, San Francisco, New York, Toronto and London and outlined how responses to coastal hazards in these northern hemisphere cities were applicable to the township of Port Fairy, on the western Victorian coast.
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Local government management challenges in protecting and preserving Indigenous cultural heritage values along the coast Mr Adam Magennis, Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Officer, with Mornington Peninsula Shire Council, presented a paper outlining how the local indigenous people had long-‐established cultural connections with the land and waters of the Mornington Peninsula and had been practicing effective coastal management techniques for tens of thousands of years. He said the Peninsula was particularly rich in Aboriginal cultural heritage values, with, for example, extensive coastal shell middens, scar trees and stone tool sites. The Phoenix Rises: Margaret River Surfers Point Case Study Mr Gary Evershed, Chief Executive Officer, of the Shire of Augusta Margaret River, on the south west coast of Western Australia, presented a paper on the transformation of the Margaret River Surfers Point foreshore, which had been devastated by fires in November 2011. On the previous evening the project had been highly commended in the Planning and Management category of the 2015 Australian Coastal Awards. Gary Evershed outlined the work involved in the redevelopment of the site, which had resulted in what the Association of Surfing Professionals had called ‘the best amphitheatre for surfing in the world’. Coastal Caravan Parks and Economic Benefits of Climate Change Adaptation Dr Boyd Blackwell, a Research Fellow at the University of New England, presented a paper outlining how the coastal impacts of climate change are expected to be significant as a result of storm surges, sea level rise, changing global currents, flooding and heat fatigue. He said the coast provides important recreational, tourism and conservation goods and services through facilities such as coastal camping and caravan parks. The number and capacity of these facilities is in decline despite increasing domestic and international demand. The paper outlined the findings of original research undertaken by the Western Coastal Board in Victoria to assess the value of coastal caravan parks on crown lands and their associated beaches. FINAL SESSION AND DISCUSSION: Coastal issues exchange and conference communiqué Alan Stokes, of the Taskforce secretariat, said the final session of the conference was aimed at achieving a number of outcomes. First, he said, the session was aimed at identifying priority coastal issues and putting people looking for answers in relation to those issues in touch with people who have already addressed the issue. Secondly, it was intended to be the first step in development of an updated policy agenda for the organisation. Alan said the issues identified in the session would become the starting point for the process of developing an updated policy agenda, which would form the basis for the organisation’s coastal advocacy campaign in the period leading up to the next Federal election. The first item to be dealt with, however, was to consider a draft Conference communiqué. A copy of the draft communiqué, calling on the Australian Government to retain the national Census in its existing form, was discussed. The draft was subsequently amended to incorporate several suggestions by delegates. (The final version of the communiqué can be found at page 2 of this report). Coastal priority issues Alan Stokes said that most councils that nominated issues to be considered in the session had put coastal erosion at or near the top of their list. In the view of one council, the lack of clarity on state and national policy in relation to coastal erosion and sea level rise is arguably the ‘major coastal issue of the century’. The Issues suggested for consideration at the session were summarized as follows:
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• Uncertainty about Federal and state Government funding support for local government in the future, given projected budget deficits;
• The benefits and disadvantages of building sea walls to protect shorelines; • The potential benefits of coastal councils pooling resources to address common
coastal issues; • Coastal dune management and resolving conflicts around dunes for coastal
protection against their perceived impact on beach amenity; • Ad-‐hoc private coastal protection works which can adversely impact on beaches,
parkland and other public lands; • Policies relating to opening estuary entrances to reduce or prevent flooding of low-‐
lying public and private infrastructure; • Potential legal liability associated with identification of coastal risks and associated
planning decisions; and • Productivity Commission recommendations to reduce the level of Commonwealth
disaster recovery funding available to state and local government. Various issues were then discussed by delegates. Coastal erosion Oliver Moles, of Moyne Shire Council, said his council would be pleased to provide support and guidance in relation to engineering advice to any councils seeking assistance in managing coastal erosion. Leanne Barnes, of Bega Valley Shire Council, said her Council had initiated preparation of a Coastal Processes and Hazards Study. The council would be pleased to provide relevant documentation to councils seeking assistance. She suggested the Taskforce could establish a resource library where member councils could submit reports on projects which could be made available to other member councils. Another delegate suggested that case studies submitted for the Australian Coastal Awards could be listed on the web site as best case examples. Joanne Ludbrook, of the Peron Naturaliste Partnership, offered to provide relevant information for the benefit of other coastal councils. She had pointed out in an earlier presentation that a regional or state-‐wide approach to adaptation decisions was the most effective. She offered to provide relevant contacts within West Australian councils. Julia Leu, of Douglas Shire Council, said her local area had suffered significant erosion as a result of Cyclone Yasi. She said her council had a study available on rehabilitation of the affected site. Other delegates indicated that access to work on projects to address estuarine environments could be helpful. Sea grasses Phil Watson of Clarence City Council pointed out that the rapid loss of sea grasses as a result of environmental change and nutrient runoff was a local problem. This was not as evident to people in local communities as loss of trees. He said sea grasses were vital for dune and coastal health. Barry Sammels and Ron Pease of the City of Rockingham said information on management of sea grasses in Cockburn Sound was available on the Council’s web site.
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Jonathan Hodge from CSIRO said a national sea grass habitat database is being developed. Information is being collated through the Australian Coastal Research Facility from state and local government sources and research institutes. Coralie Tarbotton of the City of Busselton said the Vasse Wonnerup Estuary Taskforce is undertaking work in relation to wetlands and sea grass. More information available at – http://geocatch.asn.au/our-‐work/vasse-‐geographe-‐strategy/vasse-‐wonnerup-‐wetlands/ ‘Blue’ carbon Joanne Ludbrooke from the Peron Naturaliste Partnership said she would like to have better access to information on ‘blue’ carbon. Jonathan Hodge said CSIRO is developing a blue carbon database through the Blue Carbon initiative -‐ http://thebluecarboninitiative.org Funding issues Graeme Maxwell of the City of Victor Harbor said local government needs additional resources from State and Federal Governments in order to deal with coastal management issues, including adaptation. Delegates expressed the view that the local government sector needs to lobby more actively for the necessary funding and that the pool of funding for grants needed to be increased not just reallocated.