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A low carbon and resilient urban future

An integrated approach to planning for climate change

Prof Barbara Norman Urban and Regional Planning

University of Canberra

A L ow C arbon and R es ilient Urban F uture

A Dis c us s ion P aper on an Integrated

A pproac h to P lanning for C limate C hange

Professor Barbara Norman

Urban and Regional Planning

University of Canberra

July 2010

Paper prepared for the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency

© Commonwealth of Australia 2010

ISBN 978-1921298-81-3

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Contents

Acknowledgements.............................................................................................................3

Acronyms and abbreviations ............................................................................................5

Executive summary ............................................................................................................7

1 Introduction .........................................................................................................11

1.1 Context ......................................................................................................11

1.2 Purpose of the discussion paper ................................................................13

1.3 Approach to the discussion paper .............................................................13

2 Australian initiatives on urban planning and climate change .........................15

2.1 National initiatives ....................................................................................15

2.2 State, regional and local initiatives ...........................................................18

2.3 Initiatives by the insurance industry and the built environment professions ...........................................................................21

3 Barriers to planning for climate change ............................................................23

3.1 An emerging field of professional expertise .............................................23

3.2 National urban planning policy .................................................................23

3.3 Risk and liability .......................................................................................24

3.4 Financing and governing the transition .....................................................25

4 International initiatives on urban planning and climate change ....................27

4.1 United Kingdom ........................................................................................28

4.2 European Union ........................................................................................30

4.3 Canada .......................................................................................................33

4.4 United States .............................................................................................34

4.5 Asia-Pacific region ....................................................................................36

4.6 C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group ......................................................37

5 National engagement in urban policy and climate change ..............................39

5.1 Strategic urban policy ...............................................................................40

5.2 Integrating planning processes ..................................................................41

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5.3 Governance, regulation and leadership .....................................................41

5.4 Research and skills training ......................................................................42

5.5 A national agenda for urban policy and climate change ...........................43

5.6 Role of the Australian Government ..........................................................44

6 Conclusion ............................................................................................................49

References .........................................................................................................................51

Appendix 1 ........................................................................................................................57

Appendix 2 ........................................................................................................................59

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Acknowledgements

I wish to acknowledge the support and advice of Jo Mummery and her team from the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency (DCCEE), and Professor Bruce Thom, University of Sydney. I would also like to thank the valuable contributions by the participants in DCCEE’s February roundtable on Urban Planning and Climate Change. Information is also drawn from the National Climate Change Adaptation Research Plan: Settlements and Infrastructure.

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Acronyms and abbreviat ions

ACTU Australian Council of Trade Unions ADAM Adaptation and Mitigation Strategies project (European Union) ADC Australian Davos Connection AHURI Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute ARK National Programme for Spatial Adaptation to Climate Change (Netherlands) COAG Council of Australian Governments DEWHA Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts DCCEE Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency EU European Union IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change NCCARF National Climate Change and Adaptation Research Facility NYCPCC New York City Panel on Climate Change OECD Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development PEMSEA Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia PIA Planning Institute of Australia SDC Sustainable Development Commission (United Kingdom) TAFE Technical and Further Education VROM Ministry for Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment (Netherlands)

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Executive summary

To reduce the impacts of climate change on settlements and infrastructure, it is critical to develop appropriate mitigation and adaptation responses. The Australian Government is taking a national approach to climate change mitigation and adaptation, including in urban areas. A range of measures have already been identified, such as:

• revising, renewing and enforcing building codes to take account of changing climatic conditions

• introducing more consistent planning measures (eg planned retreat, dune management, building designs, regulation of new structures)

• managing urban growth in climate sensitive areas through zoning and regulation.

We need a suite of measures to build more resilient urban settlements and communities, including urban planning and management responses. Internationally, new ways of designing cities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to develop climate change adaptation plans are being developed at the national and city level.

This discussion paper raises issues about the challenges of increasing urbanisation and climate change, and seeks to present a more strategic approach to settlement planning in Australia for climate change. It focuses on cities and explores the issues and the barriers to change. The impacts of urbanisation and climate change bring with them opportunities to rethink how we can manage future urban growth.

Current Australian initiatives in planning for climate change are outlined, to provide a benchmark for further action. The paper describes some key international initiatives from the United Kingdom, the European Union, Canada, the United States and the Asia–Pacific region. The Australian Government, particularly the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, in partnership with others, can make a significant contribution in facilitating the transition to a low carbon and resilient urban future.

The rapid growth of our capital cities and regional urban growth centres, combined with climate change and evolving climate scenarios, is a very dynamic context in which to effect change. There is a need to facilitate appropriate actions at the national, state and territory, regional and local levels. To identify the actions required, it is important to define the barriers to planning for climate change in Australian cities and major urban centres.

This paper highlights four barriers to implementing climate change policy in our rapidly growing urban centres:

• a lack of professional skills in urban climate policy

• an absence of a national urban policy framework that integrates climate change considerations

• risk and liability issues that may arise from the impact of climate change on the built environment

• significant policy challenges for financing and governing the transition to a low carbon and more resilient urban form.

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Each of these barriers are developed further within the paper, to explore the institutional and regulatory reforms that may be required.

Examples where climate change considerations have been incorporated into urban policy within Australia and internationally are explored in the body of the paper. The Australian case studies include examples of initiatives at the national, state and territory, regional and local levels. Mitigation and adaptation programs of the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, together with recent decisions by the Council of Australian Governments on strategic urban planning and disaster resilience, frame the current national action on climate change and cities. At the state, territory and local levels, specific climate change plans for large urban centres and capital cities are growing in number. However, these are one-off initiatives that could be framed within a more integrated approach across governments.

International examples provide alternative approaches to cities and climate change — many show the advantages of improved links between national and local action, both in policy terms and projects on the ground. The approach set out in the United Kingdom’s Planning for a Sustainable Future: White Paper could be considered in Australia, as could the approach taken by the New York Climate Change Panel and the New York City Plan (PlaNYC).

These examples of climate change policy and cities highlight a number of climate change considerations for Australian urban policy. The initiatives explored in this paper show that many countries are moving rapidly to national approaches to climate change and cities. Recently in Australia, there has been a move towards developing urban policy at the national level — this needs to be integrated with national objectives on climate change.

At the state, territory and local levels, opportunities exist to develop current urban and environmental planning processes to incorporate climate change mitigation and adaptation policies. Cities are being built every day — the challenge is to identify strategic interventions that can be made to effectively integrate climate change policy in urban and regional planning systems. The whole-of-council approach by the Gold Coast City Council is a good template for consideration.

The paper also discusses the importance of leadership and innovation, and investment in research and skills development in the field of urban climate change policy. Because urban research funding is relatively minor in Australia and the field of climate change policy (particularly adaptation) is relatively new, there is a significant gap in research and innovation for cities and climate change. This needs to be addressed so that decision makers are supported appropriately.

The paper seeks to define national considerations in relation to climate change and cities. For the purposes of promoting discussion, it outlines a possible national agenda in urban policy and climate change. Such an agenda is inherently interdisciplinary and will inevitably involve a range of government departments and agencies at all levels. The broader context must be understood so that the roles and responsibilities of each contributing agency can be defined clearly.

The paper concludes by exploring potential contributions by the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, in partnership with other agencies, to facilitate the transition to a low carbon and resilient urban future, including:

• developing national climate change and urban growth outcomes

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• facilitating education and research in planning for climate change

• contributing to the implementation of the Council of Australian Governments decisions on strategic urban planning and disaster mitigation.

The issue of climate change and growing cities is interdisciplinary and inter-sectoral. In Australia, we need to connect urban and regional planning, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and emergency management. The quality of the partnerships developed between government, nongovernment, business and industry, the training sector and the community, are critical. The Australian Government can play a strategic and important leadership role in linking these groups to facilitate the implementation of national climate change objectives.

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1 Introduction

Two major global phenomena — urbanisation and climate change — require a new emphasis on the planning of Australian settlements and a new partnership between the three levels of government in Australia. The intersection of these challenges in our cities presents significant threats and opportunities in tackling climate change. As a recent Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) paper states: ‘Cities are part of the climate change problem, but they are also a key part of the solution’ (Kamal-Chaoui and Robert 2009:3). Furthermore, ‘how cities develop matters to the delivery of a low-carbon, climate resilient future, and it will also determine the feasibility of sustainable economic development across the OECD and worldwide’ (Corfee-Morlot et al 2009:8).

1.1 Context

Climate change poses significant threats to the physical infrastructure and social fabric of our towns and cities. Settlements and infrastructure will be affected by changes in climate conditions, including extreme weather events. Climate change is likely to result in increased damage to buildings (eg concrete joints, steel, asphalt), energy services, telecommunications, transport structures (eg roads, railways, ports, bridges) and water services (Thom et al 2009).

The 2009 Victorian bushfires and the high temperatures in Adelaide at the time provide an indication of possible fatal consequences of extreme weather events. Coastal settlements and infrastructure will be especially vulnerable to the effects of climate change — sea-level rise, increased air and sea surface temperatures, increased storm intensity, ocean acidification, and changes to rainfall and runoff. Sea-level rise will cause increased coastal inundation, erosion, loss of wetlands and salt-water intrusion into freshwater sources, with impacts on infrastructure, coastal resources and existing coastal management programs.

It will be critical to develop appropriate mitigation and adaptation responses to reduce the impacts of climate change on settlements and infrastructure. The Australian Government is taking a lead role in a national approach to mitigation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Attention is now turning to possible adaptation responses, or a mix of mitigation and adaptation measures, in relation to cities.

A range of measures have already been identified, including revising, renewing and enforcing building codes to take account of changing climatic conditions, introducing more consistent planning measures (eg planned retreat, dune management, building designs, regulation of new structures), and managing urban growth in climate-sensitive areas through zoning and regulation. However, there remains much to be done and the process will present opportunities, especially in the implementation of adaptation responses and the promotion of shifts in the behaviour and expectations of urban, regional and remote populations. As stated in Business Week:

Perhaps the greatest design opportunity the economic stimulus can give us is for green and sustainable design to become an automatic and essential part of the architecture of new buildings, not just an added extra (Schubert 2009).

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The 2010 Intergenerational Report Australia to 2050: Future Challenges highlights significant population growth projected to reach 35.9 million in 2050 (Australian Government 2010:5). Most of this growth will occur in our cities and will place new demands on infrastructure, housing, and water and energy supply. The Australia Government through the Council of Australian Governments (COAG 2009) recognises the future challenge of creating sustainable cities in the context of urbanisation and climate change, and has begun a process of national urban planning reform:

The Australian Government is committed to creating cities that are productive, liveable, and sustainable. By 2012, each capital city will have a strategic planning system that addresses housing affordability, tackles urban congestion, deals with climate change and meets important national criteria (Australian Government 2010:13)

The pressures of increasing urbanisation and climate change, combined with projections of significant increases in population for Australia, necessitate a transdisciplinary approach to urban growth management — climate science, emergency management, urban and regional planning, city design, governance, and economic and social policy. Although the focus of this paper is on climate change and cities, it recognises the multidimensional nature of the policy issues involved. In this context, the paper seeks to define the positive contribution that national climate policy can make in creating more sustainable cities.

The process of urbanisation is a long-term trend in Australia. Over 80 per cent of Australians live in urban settlements. More than 86 per cent of the population lives by the coast. The growth of Australian capital cities continues to be significant, with metropolitan Melbourne expecting to reach five million by 2030 (DPCD 2009). The Australia State of the Environment reports in 1996, 2001 and 2006 expressed concern about the impact of the continued expansion of the major capital cities and the urbanisation of the coastline. In relation to human settlements, the State of the Environment Report 2006 (DEH 2006:18) concluded in part that:

• population growth and urban expansion, particularly in coastal areas and capital cities, are placing increasing pressure on the environment

• the design of urban areas has a significant impact on their efficiency and environmental impact and some progress has been made towards recognising this fact in new developments, but the legacy of past urban and building design will continue to impact on the environment.

The State of the Environment Report 2006 recommended a strong policy response of strategic urban planning:

Much urban environmental progress can be achieved by adopting strategies that reduce the harmful impacts of unsustainable consumption on the environment and nationally recognising that urban form and liveability have a powerful influence on human settlements. The development and implementation of an Australian Government policy on cities would provide leadership and guidance to the other two levels of government, as well as to developers, producers and consumers so as to achieve a common approach to the creation of sustainable settlements (DEH 2006:4).

Climate change has brought a significant new dimension to the ‘urban’ problem. Sea level rise, rising temperatures and projected more extreme weather events (Pachauri and Reisinger 2007) are some of the significant future impacts on cities. The economic, social and environmental costs of extreme weather events in 2009

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have highlighted some of the policy challenges. Extreme heatwaves, severe flooding and devastating bushfires have had substantial impacts on urban and regional communities. Although these specific events may not be directly attributable to climate change, they provide some insight into challenges that urban settlements may face in the future.

Building more resilient urban settlements and communities will require a range of adaptive measures, including urban planning and management responses. Internationally, considerable action is occurring at the city level to examine new ways of designing cities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Similarly, international research is occurring on planning for adaptation to accommodate the impacts of climate change that are already predicted to occur; for example, sea level rise. Australia is no exception and Australian governments at all levels are supporting a range of initiatives to strengthen local and regional understanding of the impacts and the mechanisms to climate-proof urban settlements.

1.2 Purpose of the discussion paper

The purpose of this discussion paper is to provide some insight into the challenges of increasing urbanisation and climate change. It presents a more strategic approach to settlement planning for climate change in Australia. The paper focuses on cities, and explores the issues and the barriers to change. It recognises that the impacts of urbanisation and climate change also bring opportunities to rethink how we manage future urban growth.

Current Australian initiatives on planning for climate change are outlined here to provide a benchmark to build upon for future action. Key international initiatives in the United Kingdom, European Union, Canada, the United States and the Asia–Pacific region are described. The outcome of this discussion paper is to suggest the contribution the Australian Government and in particular the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency (DCCEE) could make to facilitate the transition to a low carbon and resilient urban future.

1.3 Approach to the discussion paper

This discussion paper is designed to stimulate discussion on the critical issue of how we respond to the twin challenges of urbanisation and climate change in Australia:

• Chapter 1 outlines the purpose of the paper and its approach to the twin challenges of urbanisation and climate change

• Chapter 2 provides examples of Australian initiatives in planning for climate change, to establish a benchmark for developing a more integrated approach

• Chapter 3 identifies barriers to change in urban growth management in the context of climate change

• Chapter 4 provides insight into international initiatives in responding to urbanisation and climate change, to inform the national policy agenda

• Chapter 5 identifies a role for the Australian Government and DCCEE to facilitate a new approach that addresses the challenges of planning for urbanisation and climate change, and suggests a way forward.

Incorporating climate change considerations into city form and structure is a task that is multisectoral and interdisciplinary. It will involve the urban design professions, government, industry, and the building and construction sector. It is

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also multijurisdictional and will involve the nation’s capital cities and the growing conurbation (where larger and smaller cities and towns are merging to form continuous urban development) on the eastern seaboard, involving more than one state.

Implementing national climate change policy through all eight of the Australian urban planning systems will require the engagement of all levels of government, ranging from national infrastructure planning to local adaptive planning responses. This discussion paper concludes with a possible pathway forward for responding to climate change when planning and rebuilding Australian urban settlements.

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2 Austral ian in i t iat ives on urban planning and cl imate change

The remit of DCCEE is to coordinate Australia’s response to climate change nationally, with the involvement of all levels of government. The urban planning and design of Australian cities has, in the past, been regarded as a state or territory and local government responsibility. However, recently (in December 2009) the Australian Government re-engaged directly with national urban and cities policy, due to significant decisions made by the Council of Australian Governments (COAG), including:

• establishing a set of national criteria for future strategic planning of capital cities (Appendix 1)

• a related statement on national disaster resilience (Appendix 2).

As the science of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) develops further on climate change and Australian cities continue to grow, the question is what role can the Australian Government have in partnership with state, territory and local governments to provide a more strategic approach to settlement planning for climate change?

Some Australian initiatives on urban planning and climate change • Council of Australian Governments and planning ministers’ decisions on national

urban reform (from December 2009)

• House of Representatives Inquiry into Climate Change and Environmental Impacts on Coastal Communities (October 2009)

• Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency programs on coastal vulnerability, local adaptation pathways, integrated assessment of settlements, national climate change research and planning for climate change capacity building

• Australia’s Solar Cities program

• Infrastructure Australia (established under the Infrastructure Australia Act 2008) and the Major Cities Unit

• the Victorian Climate Change Green Paper (June 2009)

• the South East Queensland Climate Change Management Plan Draft for Public Consultation (July 2009)

• the Climate Change Strategy 2009–2014, Gold Coast City Council

• various capital city urban planning and climate change programs

2.1 National initiatives

Australia has a long tradition of urban planning that has benefited the quality of urban planning and design of Australian settlements. The new challenges presented by climate change have significant implications for the future design of cities and towns. Future strategies will involve a mix of mitigation and adaptation measures, and will involve all three levels of government.

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Planning for climate change is now a global issue, and many nations are developing urban policy responses to climate change. On the issue of urban growth management, the Australian Government has established Infrastructure Australia to provide a ‘national approach to planning, funding and implementing the nation’s future infrastructure needs’. The Major Cities Unit provides advice to the Australian Government and Infrastructure Australia ‘to identify opportunities where federal leadership can make a difference to the prosperity of our cities and the wellbeing of their residents’ (DITRDLG 2009).

Some of the key initiatives in Australia are provided here, although this is not intended to be a comprehensive list. Rather, it demonstrates that a wide range of governments and nongovernment organisations are engaged in this field of public policy, which is expected to grow along with increasing urbanisation and impacts of climate change.

Climate change is a cross-sectoral issue and will at some stage involve nearly every government agency. However, at the national level, key government departments include:

• Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency

• Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet

• Treasury

• Attorney General’s Department

• Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (DEWHA)

• Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government (DITRDLG)

• Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (specifically housing policy).

DCCEE is the lead coordinator of national government action on climate change, with a focus on mitigation and adaptation. DCCEE’s overall approach is threefold: ‘...reduce greenhouse pollution in Australia in the short and long term, work with the international community to develop a global response that is effective and fair and prepare for the climate change that we cannot avoid’ (DCCEE 2009).

In relation to urban settlements and climate change, there are several relevant DCCEE initiatives, including:

• the coastal vulnerability program

• the local adaptation pathways program

• the integrated assessment of settlements subprogram

• national climate change adaptation research on settlements and infrastructure

• the climate change adaptation skills for professions program, including for urban planning and design professionals.

DEWHA has a wide range of programs on sustainability and human settlements, including energy efficiency for housing and commercial buildings, urban transport and renewable energy. A key example for urban planning and climate change is the Australia’s Solar Cities program. These contribute significantly to DCCEE’s broad climate change mitigation and adaptation-related goals.

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Australia’s Solar Cities Australia’s Solar Cities is a program designed to assist communities explore and demonstrate new approaches to generating and delivering energy to urban and regional settlements. In 2009, there were seven designated ‘solar cities’ – Alice Springs, Blacktown, Central Victoria, Moreland, Perth and Townsville. The program is currently funded until 2012 (DEWHA 2009).

www.environment.gov.au/settlements/solarcities/index.html (accessed June 2009)

The decisions of Infrastructure Australia and the work of the Major Cities Unit will influence the future design and shape of Australian settlements. Mitigation and adaptation measures for urban and planning change will need to be an integral part of the agenda. Both initiatives indicate a renewed interest at the national level in Australian cities. In addition to the COAG decisions of December 2009, the Local Government and Planning Ministers’ Council (LGPMC) has also resolved to develop a national urban policy, and to take a intergovernmental approach to the question of urban planning and climate change (see LGPMC Communiques, May and October 2009).1

Alongside these Australian Government programs, major Commonwealth parliamentary inquiries have also recommended a more strategic approach to settlement planning, including considerations of climate change. These include the House of Representatives inquiries:

• Sustainable Cities 2025 (in 2005)

• Sustainability for Survival: Creating a Climate for Change (in 2007)

• Climate Change and Environmental Impacts on Coastal Communities (in 2009).

Climate Change and Environmental Impacts on Coastal Communities (2009) Recommendation 16

The Committee notes that major initiatives relating to climate change adaptation risk assessment and infrastructure are currently in progress. Given that much of Australia’s infrastructure is in the coastal zone and the particular threats facing the coastal zone from climate change, involving significant socioeconomic costs, the Committee recommends that the Australian Government ensure there is a comprehensive national assessment of coastal infrastructure vulnerability to inundation from sea level rise and extreme sea level events

A report on the Infrastructure 21 Summit — Infrastructure 21: From Incrementalism to Transformational Change (ADC 2009) — was prepared by the Australian Davos Connection with contributions from a wide range of constituencies. The report confirmed the need for a more integrated approach to infrastructure and urban planning and the significance of planning for climate change. In considering ‘Transforming Australian Cities for a more sustainable future’, it recommended a new approach to city design supported by a more nationally consistent planning framework enhanced by a national spatial plan (ADC

1 www.lgpmcouncil.gov.au/communique/

http://www.environment.gov.au/settlements/solarcities/index.html�

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2009:21). The need to transform our cities through a more integrated approach to urban transport was a major recommendation in the December 2008 Report to the Council of Australian Governments by Infrastructure Australia (Adams and Loader 2009).

2.2 State, regional and local initiatives

Climate change is already a major national issue. Urban planning for Australian cities is also becoming a national issue. Climate change plans have been developed for several capital cities, and state and territory governments are at various stages of incorporating climate change into state and metropolitan urban planning. These are a range of leading initiatives in connecting climate change adaptation and mitigation with urban and regional planning.

There is still considerable work to be done in translating these plans from policy to on-the-ground implementation. A future strategy might be to provide targeted funding programs to facilitate the implementation of national policy at the local level. This would be particularly useful where successful implementation can provide tangible case studies that other jurisdictions can learn from.

Victorian Climate Change Green Paper

The Victorian Climate Change Green Paper places significant emphasis on the potential for planning and infrastructure decisions to improve water and energy efficiency (DPC 2009:40). It argues that the structure and form of Australian cities will have a direct impact on climate change.

The paper focuses on incorporating both mitigation and adaptation measures into the urban planning system. This includes reviewing urban planning processes, urban design and infrastructure provision (including retrofitting the existing built environment), increasing the resilience of urban form and providing relevant evidence-based ongoing research into adapting our built environment and infrastructure. It is also argues for increasing professional and industry skills, and wider community capacity to adapt to climate change. This process will require an integrated approach to city planning.

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South East Queensland Climate Change Management Plan

The South East Queensland Climate Change Management Plan Draft for Public Consultation (DIP 2009a) is a regional action plan containing ‘draft actions to implement the climate change policies of the South East Queensland Regional Plan 2009–2031’. It is ambitious in addressing the significant climate change impacts for the region. The draft plan highlights the impacts of sea level rise and storm surge, reduced water availability and increased temperatures (DIP 2009:9).

As in the Victorian green paper, a mix of mitigation and adaptation measures is proposed, which can be undertaken to make the transition to a more low carbon and resilient urban future. A suite of actions is based on two themes: reducing greenhouse gas emissions, building resilience to natural hazards and adapting to climate change. Mitigation measures are proposed for urban transport, energy efficiency, renewable energy and community awareness. Adaptation measures include managing coastal hazards and extreme weather events, and building resilience through awareness and behavioural change.

This draft plan confirms the increasing awareness that influencing the planning and development of our cities will require a range of measures across portfolios (transport, environment, urban planning, housing, energy, water). The regional approach is a model of how to integrate these measures and effect change.

Sustainable Sydney 2030 and Melbourne 2030

The Planning Institute of Australia (PIA) National Awards for Planning Excellence provide an indication of emerging best planning practice in Australia. The President’s Award in 2009 was jointly awarded to the Cities of Sydney and Melbourne for their most recent capital city plans — Sustainable Sydney 2030 (City of Sydney 2008) and Future Melbourne Community Plan (City of Melbourne 2008). Both plans adopt a triple bottom line approach to city planning and development — encompassing economic, environmental and social considerations — including the theme of planning for climate change.

The City of Melbourne (see box) provides a particularly comprehensive approach from strategy to policy to action.

City Melbourne: a comprehensive approach to planning and climate change • Award winning Future Melbourne Community Plan (2008) and

wiki (www.futuremelbourne.com.au)

• City of Melbourne Climate Change Adaptation Strategy (April 2009, adopted June 2009)

• Aims to become a zero net emissions city by 2020

• Retrofitting 1200 existing commercial buildings by 2020 in the 1200 Buildings program

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Figure 2.2 Northern Green Façade, Melbourne City Council Chambers - 6 star environmental Council Chambers for Melbourne City Council. Photo courtesy of Ronstan Tensile Architecture

Far North Queensland Regional Plan 2025

The PIA Planning Ministers Award went to the draft Far North Queensland Regional Plan 2025, developed by the Queensland Department of Infrastructure and Planning. This is now a major non-metropolitan plan with a strong focus on urban planning and climate change (DIP 2009b).

Gold Coast City Council Climate Change Strategy 2009–2014

The Gold Coast City Council Climate Change Strategy 2009–2014 is one of the most comprehensive local plans for climate change. It takes a strategic approach to climate change mitigation and adaptation, by addressing five key areas (GCCC 2009):

• governance and leadership

• research

• advocacy and awareness

• infrastructure

• planning and regulation.

Specific actions of the strategy include reviewing the corporate governance framework, incorporating risk mitigation and adaptation, and incorporating climate change considerations into local transport plans. Other measures are to amend design standards for council infrastructure and to construct all new council buildings to a standard that is better than the Australian Greenhouse Building Rating of 5 stars.

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By taking a whole-of-council approach, the Gold Coast City Council has demonstrated the extensive impact of climate change will have on the Gold Coast and provides a template for other local governments in Australia.

2.3 Initiatives by the insurance industry and the built environment professions

The insurance industry is understandably concerned with the impacts of climate change, particularly in relation to extreme weather events. The Insurance Council of Australia has prepared a report Improving Community Resilience to Extreme Weather Events (ICA 2008) that focuses on two strategies:

• risk management of the built environment

• policies and human behaviours that underpin community resilience to extreme weather events.

In the report, the Insurance Council of Australia recommends that governments implement:

• risk-appropriate land use planning legislation harmonised across the states to prevent inappropriate development on land subject to inundation

• a southerly expansion of cyclone and wind storm-related building codes to counter the predicted southerly expansion of severe cyclones

• harmonised legislation across all states requiring mandatory disclosure of all known and predicted risk data by state and local governments to property purchasers during property conveyance and title search processes (ICA 2008:17).

A very significant increase in urban development has occurred in some Australian coastal environments in recent decades.

Townsville 2009

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The insurance industry supports a strengthening of the relationship between emergency management and the planning and design of urban settlements. This key issue was raised in the submissions to the 2009 House of Representatives Inquiry into Climate Change and Environmental Impacts on Coastal Communities and the 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission.

The parliamentary inquiry released its final report Managing Our Coastal Zone in a Changing Climate in October 2009, which included a number of recommendations in relation to climate risk and insurance (Recommendations 19–23).2

Although these major inquiries are specific to the coast or bushfires, patterns of urban settlement and predicted urban growth rates mean that there will be an increasing number of people living in high-risk areas. This includes the urban periphery of capital cities, rapidly growing coastal urban areas (eg Mandurah, Surf Coast, Gold Coast) and some regional growth centres (eg Geelong and surrounds).

These are now subject to government consideration. The 2009 Victorian Bushfire Commission initially focused on emergency response issues, but in 2010 is moving into the broader issues of land use planning.

Built environment professional organisations, including the Planning Institute of Australia (PIA), the Royal Australian Institute of Architects and the Institution of Engineers, have all recognised the need for members to upgrade design skills for planning for climate change; for example, PIA conducted a series of training workshops on planning and climate change in 2006 and 2007. There is already an identified shortage of trained urban planners and engineers within Australia that needs to be addressed in the context of growing cities and climate change. The design professions are working together on these issues and host an annual meeting with the Australian Parliament (Built Environment Meets Parliament).3

2 www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/ccwea/coastalzone/report.htm 3 See www.bemp.com.au

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3 Barr iers to planning for c l imate change

Transforming our major cities for climate change is a challenge that will take 10 to 15 years or more to implement. The complexity of rapidly growing capital cities and regional urban growth centres, combined with climate change and evolving climate scenarios makes for a very dynamic context to effect change. It is imperative that we begin implementing mitigation and adaptation strategies for Australian cities. Significant action is already occurring at the city and state level, as discussed in Chapter 2.

DCCEE is keen to continue contributing to the facilitation of appropriate actions at the national, state, regional and local levels. First, it is important to define the barriers to planning for climate change in Australian cities and major urban centres.

3.1 An emerging field of professional expertise

The design and redesign of urban centres for climate change is an emerging field of professional expertise and research. Urban and regional planning and urban design are well-established fields in which considerable work is being done internationally and locally on climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Innovation and one-off projects are being sponsored by capital cities and in some cases large national corporations (eg Clinton Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation) . The insurance sector is focused on possible liabilities, particularly from more frequent and intense extreme weather events. As a step to foster research in this important area, the Australian Government has established the National Climate Change and Adaptation Research Facility (NCCARF), which is preparing national research plans including one on settlements and infrastructure (Thom et al 2009).

These initiatives are important contributions and demonstrate leadership; however, broader dissemination and uptake of this knowledge is critical to effecting change. Such change will require collaboration and new partnerships between government, industry and the university sector. We need to facilitate innovation and understanding to improve the uptake of climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies in the planning and development systems.

3.2 National urban planning policy

A significant barrier to planning for climate change in Australia is the lack of a national urban policy framework. However, national urban policy is being developed by the Cities COAG Taskforce and the Major Cities Unit at Infrastructure Australia. Key policy issues include:

• public transport

• affordable housing

• economic productivity

• climate change (mitigation and adaptation).

Historically, urban and regional planning in Australia has been managed by state and territory, and local governments. At times, the Australian Government has

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assumed greater responsibility in relation to cities, notably under the governments of Chifley (Commonwealth State Housing Agreements), Whitlam (urban area improvements), and Hawke and Keating (Building Better Cities), and the Rudd government has recently announced that the Australia Government will take a role in urban management, based on three future challenges:

• building productive cities — with efficient transport and communications networks

• building affordable, liveable city communities

• building sustainable cities (Rudd 2009:8).

These three challenges are developed further in the COAG Communiqué from 7 December 2009. Specifically, the issue of ‘capital city strategic planning systems’ is addressed along with the related areas of housing, climate change and emergency management for extreme weather events (COAG 2009b). All of these critical policy areas contribute to the overall theme of this report.

The outcome from the COAG meeting on 7 December 2009 was an agreement to apply national criteria for capital city strategic planning ‘to re-shape our capital cities’ (Appendix 1). The same meeting also agreed to a ‘national disaster resilience statement’ that recognises the role of government to include ‘developing and implementing effective, risk-based land management and planning arrangements and other mitigation activities’ (Appendix 2).

A continuing barrier to planning for change is the lack of horizontal and vertical integration of urban policy, between different agencies and non government bodies and between different levels of government — a national urban policy could provide this integration. The COAG agreements provide a foundation for achieving more effective coordination. Population projections for Australia to 2050, which estimate growth of 14 million people (Australian Government 2010), and consequent urban growth, require a national perspective on urban settlement. A national urban policy should provide a major platform for incorporating climate change adaptation and mitigation policies into state and territory, and local urban policy, thus in cities. The next challenge is to build a stronger partnership with industry, and better links between urban and regional planning and the emergency management sector, to ensure effective on-the-ground implementation.

3.3 Risk and liability

Impending risks and liabilities of climate change are of particular concern to the insurance sector and local governments. The extreme weather events of 2009 and 2010 (bushfires, floods, heat stress) have raised the issue of risk and liability in relation to land use planning and how we plan and regulate for climate change in (and on the edges of) major urban centres.

Recent public policy responses to projected sea level rise from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predictions (IPCC 2007) are an early indication of possible change in the regulatory environment for land use planning. For example, the new statutory planning provision for sea level rise in Victoria states:

Plan for sea level rise of not less than 0.8 metres by 2100, and allow for the combined effects of tides, storm surges, coastal processes and local conditions,

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such as topography and geology when assessing risks and impacts associated with climate change. (VCC 2008:38).

This policy is to be reviewed as scientific data become available.

Barriers to change are twofold:

• Planning law in Australia is relatively static, with town planning legislation in each state and territory reviewed on average every 10 years and metropolitan strategies every five years.

• There is no connection between developments in climate change science and the day-to-day decision making that influences land use activity in cities and regions.

Urban and regional planning (both strategic and statutory) must be reviewed to incorporate planning for climate change. As a start, the Local Government and Planning Ministers’ Council (LGPMC) asked the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) to ‘prepare a report on practical issues facing local government in dealing with climate change’ (LGPMC 2009).

3.4 Financing and governing the transition

A barrier to planning for climate change is how to fund the building and rebuilding of cities and major urban centres. This is relatively new challenge, but it needs to be integrated into urban and regional planning processes. For example, actions by the insurance sector may have significant impacts on investment decisions, with consequences for urban form and location.

The combination of significant population growth and demographic change (Attorney-General’s Department 2010) will affect growth patterns of our cities. Population growth may also necessitate increased urban growth in inland regional centres, given the predicted impacts of climate change, but potential urban growth centres have not yet been identified. Planning for future urban growth will need to address critical issues such as water supply and energy, as well as social and economic factors such as employment opportunities and the provision of health services and education.

Financing structural change towards a low carbon and resilient urban future will require the incorporation of climate change mitigation and adaptation responses into key investment decisions. The building and construction industries, and research organisations, need to enter the discussion, so that we can better understand possible levers to shift existing practices towards more climate-sensitive outcomes. New urban governance arrangements may also be required to manage the increased level of risk and uncertainty.

There are debates going on currently about planning for coastal climate change (eg House of Representatives Standing Committee on Climate Change, Water, Environment and the Arts). All levels of government must be involved in financing and governing planning for climate change. We need a clear delineation of responsibilities and a suite of tools and incentives to implement new urban forms and reduce barriers to planning for climate change.

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4 Internat ional in i t iat ives on urban planning and cl imate change

Urbanisation is a major global trend — in a foreword to State of the World’s Cities 2008/2009, the Secretary-General of the United Nations stated: ‘With more than half of the world’s population now living in urban areas, this is the urban century’ (UN-HABITAT 2009). This process of ‘urbanisation’ is highlighted throughout the report: ‘within two decades, nearly 60 per cent of the world’s population will be urban dwellers’ (UN-HABITAT 2009: vi) and:

From China to Columbia, and everywhere in between, national and local governments are making critical choices that promote equity and sustainability in cities. These governments recognise that cities are not just part of the problem; they are, and must be, part of the solution. Many cities are coming up with innovative institutional reforms to promote prosperity while minimising inequity and unsustainable use of energy. Enlightened and committed political leadership combined with effective urban planning, governance and management that promote equity and sustainability are the critical components to the building of harmonious cities (UN-HABITAT 2009:v).

On 19 February 2009, the United States President Obama established a White House Office of Urban Affairs to ‘take a coordinated and comprehensive approach to developing and implementing an effective strategy concerning urban America’.4

• to provide leadership for and coordinate the development of the policy agenda for urban America across executive departments and agencies

The Office of Urban Affairs has five principal functions:

• to coordinate all aspects of urban policy

• to work with executive departments and agencies to ensure that appropriate consideration is given by such department and agencies to the potential impact of their actions on urban areas

• to work with executive departments and agencies, including the Office of Management and Budget, to ensure that Federal Government dollars targeted to urban areas as effectively spent on the highest impact programs

• to engage in outreach and work closely with State and local officials, with nonprofit organizations, and with the private sector, both in seeking input regarding the development of a comprehensive urban policy and in ensuring that the implementation of Federal programs advances the objectives of that policy.

Research by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has placed the issue of climate mitigation and adaptation on the global stage. Much of the global activity has necessarily focused on global agreements and national mitigation measures. A range of national initiatives aimed at increasing the resilience of urban settlements for a changing climate support this activity.

Australian Government participation in climate change policy responses has been considerable. The following sections describe international examples where questions of climate change and cities are being tackled at national and local levels.

4 See www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/executive-orders

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It is clear that urban planning for sustainable cities will be a major factor in reducing emissions and adapting to climate change. Developed and developing cities are vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and the examples show that responses are possible at the national and local levels — where these are integrated and mutually reinforcing there is a strong foundation for change.

4.1 United Kingdom

The United Kingdom has a national approach to urban planning and climate change. The Planning Act 2008 (UK) provides the framework for a ‘national spatial planning system’. Under the Act, the government of the United Kingdom can make national planning statements. (The Act has recently been amended to enable the government to make national policy statements on matters such as renewable energy). It also provides for the establishment of an Infrastructure Planning Commission to make decisions on applications for ‘nationally significant infrastructure projects’.5

The Planning Act 2008 (UK) stems largely from the 2007 Barker Review of Land Use Planning

6

We need to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases to meet the challenge of climate change and use our natural resources wisely. At the same time we need to support economic development so that we can generate high quality jobs in the context of rapid globalisation. We also need to build more houses so that people can afford decent homes. And we need to put the right infrastructure in place to meet our needs for travel, energy, water and public services (UK DCLG 2007a, Foreword).

and the Planning for a Sustainable Future: White Paper, which states the future challenges for the urban planning system:

This quote covers the range of competing policy priorities for urban and regional planning systems, including climate change mitigation and adaptation.

The Office of Deputy Prime Minister (UK) published the Planning Policy Statement 1: Delivering Sustainable Development in 2005 (UK ODPM 2005). This was followed by the Planning Policy Statement: Planning and Climate Change - Supplement to Planning Policy Statement 1 (UK ODPM 2007) and the Planning Act 2008. National planning policy in the United Kingdom identifies as key roles for urban planning, helping to:

• secure enduring progress against the UK’s emission targets, by direct influence on energy use and emissions, and in bringing together and encouraging action by others

• deliver the Government’s ambition of zero carbon development

• shape sustainable communities that are resilient to and appropriate for the climate change now accepted as inevitable;

• create an attractive environment for innovation and for the private sector to bring forward investment, including in renewable and low-carbon technologies and supporting infrastructure;

5 See infrastructure.independent.gov.uk 6 See ‘Reform of the planning system’ www.communities.gov.uk/planningandbuilding/planning/planningpolicyimplementation/

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• capture local enthusiasm and give local communities real opportunities to influence, and take, action on climate change’ (UK ODPM 2007:9).

Subsequently, two more relevant national planning policy statements were released — the Planning Policy Statement 25: Development and Flood Risk and the Planning Policy Statement: Eco-towns — A supplement to Planning Policy Statement 1. These planning policy statements supplement earlier statements by addressing specific challenges for the built environment: increased inundation and low carbon urban development.

The United Kingdom also adopted a set of nationally agreed shared sustainable development principles to guide future decision making for all levels of government. This landmark initiative to address climate change consisted of five principles:

• living within the environment

• ensuring a strong, healthy and just community

• achieving a sustainable economy

• using sound science responsibly

• promoting good governance.

Reinforcing this approach, the Royal Town Planning Institute has made seven commitments on climate change:

• promote behavioural change

• adapt existing places

• work towards responsive legislation and policies

• improve current practice

• celebrate best practice

• compile a compendium of best practice

• develop climate change education and skills (RTPI 2009).

The United Kingdom has also established the Sustainable Development Commission (SDC), which is responsible for providing independent advice on sustainable development to the Prime Minister, the First Ministers of Scotland and Wales and the First Minister and Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland.7

The progressive work by the City of London is a good case study of urban planning and climate change. Commencing with an award winning London Climate Change Adaptation Strategy 2008, the City of London has more recently undertaken the City of London Carbon Footprint project to determine the carbon footprint of the City of London. In the Executive summary, the project report begins with the statement that ‘Climate change is the biggest environmental challenge facing the world today, particularly for the world’s major cities, often cited as consuming

A priority for the SDC is to apply the five principles of sustainable development agreed to by the Government of the United Kingdom (including Northern Ireland) the Scottish Executive and the Welsh Assembly.

7 www.sd-commission.org.uk

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more than 75% of the world’s energy and being responsible for 80% of greenhouse gas emissions’.8

The draft Climate Change Adaptation Strategy for London (GLA 2010) is groundbreaking in that it tackles the social, economic and environment aspects of climate change, and, in a very practical way, documents possible courses of action at the local level within a broader national framework. Key issues identified for London include managing flood risks, managing water resources, managing heat risks and air pollution and managing ground conditions. The City of London is reviewing local urban planning policies and controls to ensure that they support the implementation measures for adaptation (City of London 2010).

The Mayor of London released the London Plan: Spatial Development Strategy for Greater London — Consultation draft replacement plan in October 2009:9

London has to be ready to deal with a warmer climate, and one likely to be significantly wetter in the winter and drier during the summer. We also have to play our part in making sure the extent and impacts of future climate change are limited. Action taken now and over the period covered by the new Plan will help reduce what has to be done for the years after that (GLA 2009:21).

United Kingdom initiatives on urban planning and climate change • Planning Policy Statement 25: Development and Flood Risk (2010)

• Planning Policy Statement: Eco-towns — A supplement to Planning Policy Statement 1 (2009)

• Planning Policy Statement: Planning and Climate Change - Supplement to Planning Policy Statement 1 (2007)

• Planning Policy Statement 1: Delivering Sustainable Development (2005)

• Establishment of the Sustainable Development Commission

• The London Plan: Spatial Development Strategy for Greater London — Consultation draft replacement plan (October 2009)

• The draft Climate Change Adaptation Strategy for London (2010)

• The City of London Carbon Footprint project and report

• The City of London Climate Change Adaptation Strategy (2010 update)

4.2 European Union

The European Union (EU) has long taken a leadership role in strategies addressing spatial planning and climate change. Under the EU, it is now a requirement that national spatial plans tackle climate change, including the planning systems. As stated by the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Durão Barroso:

… action on the economy or action against climate change is a false dichotomy. These economic and environmental challenges must be tackled together. Indeed, they are part and parcel of a strategy of smart, sustainable,

8 www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/CAA2442E-9825-401B-9D17-32DB163D83E4/0/SUS_CarbonFootprintreport.pdf 9 www.london.gov.uk/shaping-london/london-plan/docs/london-plan.pdf

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low carbon growth. Low carbon growth must be the hallmark of the post-crisis economy.10

The European Union has looked at cities and climate change through the EU Sustainable Development Strategy (renewed and adopted June 2006),

11 which is ‘an overarching strategy for all EU policies which sets out how we can meet the needs of present generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs’.12

• climate change and clean energy

It covers a range of interrelated matters, including:

• sustainable transport

• sustainable consumption and production

• conservation and management of natural resources

• public health

• social inclusion, demography and migration

• global poverty.

The most recent paper on climate change adaptation by the EU is the White Paper Adapting to Climate Change: Towards a European Framework for Action (EU 2009a). The White Paper ‘presents the framework for adaptation measures and policies to reduce the European Union’s vulnerability to the impacts of climate change’.13 It also draws upon a range of national adaptation strategies already in place in Denmark, Finland, Germany, France, Hungary, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. In June 2009, the Council of the European Union ‘welcome[d] the Commission White Paper Adapting to Climate Change: Towards a European Framework for Action as a basis for developing a more strategic approach to adaptation’ with the aim of having a European adaptation strategy in place from 2013 (Section 2).14

The following three examples are EU projects stemming from the EU overarching strategies about urban planning and climate change. First, the National Programme for Spatial Adaptation to Climate Change (ARK), coordinated by the Ministry for Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment (VROM) in the Netherlands builds upon the National Spatial Strategy to address the impacts of climate change. The program states that ‘the overlap between climate-related and spatial planning issues is giving rise to important new questions and challenges relating both to risks and opportunities’ (VROM 2007:1). ARK is concerned with ‘climate proofing’ of Dutch spatial planning focusing on the following questions:

The same meeting specifically referred to the impacts of climate change on urban planning, infrastructure and spatial planning and stressed the need for cross-sectoral approach (Section 3).

• what are the nature and scope of effects that can already be observed and effects that are expected to occur?

• what spatial issues does this raise?

• how can these spatial issues be tackled?

10 www.europa-eu-un.org/articles/en/article_8829_en.htm 11 register.consilium.europa.eu/pdf/en/06/st10/st10917.en06.pdf 12 ec.europa.eu/sustainable/welcome/index_en.htm 13 ec.europa.eu/environment/water/adaptation/index_en.htm 14 www.europa-eu-un.org/articles/en/article_8822_en.htm

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• what technical, administrative, economic and social dilemmas do we encounter when we attempt to solve these spatial issues (VROM 2007:ii)?

The National Spatial Strategy for Ireland 2002 – 2020 is also concerned with ‘limitations on greenhouse gas emissions in the context of the [Irish] National Climate Change Strategy, measures to support sustainable agriculture, and initiatives to address the impact of transport on the environment’ in the wider context of providing ‘a coherent national planning framework … to achieve a better balance of social, economic and physical development supported by more effective planning’ (IDEHLG 2001).

Second, the European Green Capital Awards is a tangible program where cities are evaluated against a list of environmental criteria and one city is selected as the European Green Capital of the year. The program brings together urban planning and climate change challenges. The first winner of the European Green City for 2010 is Stockholm and Hamburg has been selected as the winner for 2011. The EU states that the winner had ‘a track record of integrated urban management, credible green credential and ambitious plans for the future’ (EU 2009b).15

Third, the ADAM project (adaptation and mitigation strategies), which ran from 2006 to 2009, was funded by the European Commission. Under the project, 24 European research institutions examined strategies for climate change mitigation and adaptation, and assessed and developed climate change policy options (ADAM 2009).

The award provides an incentive for cities to be recognised for their achievements in sustainability and gives a positive marketing image for subsequent investment.

The final report of the ADAM project draws a number of important conclusions. It emphasises that ‘effective climate policy involves a portfolio of both adaptation and mitigation activities’ (ADAM 2009). More specifically, in relation to urban planning and climate change, the report concludes that scenario planning can be very useful in assessing ‘potential synergies and tradeoffs in more detail (e.g. climate impacts on bio-energy; integrated urban planning; hydropower)’. The important point emerging from this research is to confirm the importance of involving stakeholders (including urban planners) in any ‘adaptive management’ process for capacity building.

European initiatives on urban planning and climate change • European Green Capital Award (from 2010)

• European Commission White Paper — Adapting to Climate Change: Towards a European Framework for Action (2009)

• The ADAM project (2006–2009)

• EU Sustainable Development Strategy (renewed and adopted June 2006)

• National spatial plans and national adaptation strategies (eg the Netherlands)

15 ec.europa.eu/environment/europeangreencapital/docs/apply/jury-report_2010_2011.pdf

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4.3 Canada

Canada has a national framework for sustainable development that links urban planning and climate change. The Sustainable Development Act 2008 (as amended 8 June 2009) provides for a Sustainable Development Advisory Council and a national Sustainable Development Strategy 2007–2009.16

Another key Canadian document is the national report From Impacts to Adaptation: Canada in a Changing Climate 2007 (Lemmen et al 2008).

The Act requires Ministers to report to Parliament on progress on sustainable development and has a requirement for performance-based contracts with the Government of Canada to include ‘provisions for meeting the applicable targets referred to in the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy and the Departmental Sustainable Development Strategies’ (Section 12). Mitigation and adaptation to climate change is a key theme throughout the Sustainable Development Strategy 2007–2009, which recognises the cross-sectoral nature of planning for climate change.

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A significant Canadian initiative in relation to urban planning and climate change is the Building Resilience to Climate Change in Human Settlements program by Natural Resources Canada.

The report discusses possible climate change impacts within Canada, by region. Importantly, it recognises that ‘place’ matters when it comes to climate change and, in that sense, a national framework that supports regional responses is the best strategy.

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• capacity building for planners

The activities of the program include:

• coastal vulnerability in the Halifax Regional Municipality

• coastal vulnerability in the Greater Vancouver Regional District

• visualization for communication and consideration of climate change impacts

• heat island impacts in the Greater Toronto Area

• enhancing the planning capacity for sustainable development of northern communities.

Strategic approaches to climate change and the development of appropriate planning tools is critical to the implementation of planning policy at local and regional levels. The Canadian Planning Institute (with support from the Canadian Government) has recognised the need to build skills and capacity in its members by holding the 2010 conference ‘Planning for Climate Change: From Global Knowledge to Local Action’.

16 www.ceaa-acee.gc.ca/default.asp?lang=En&n=EB9E8950-1 17 adaptation.nrcan.gc.ca/assess/2007/index_e.php 18 ess.nrcan.gc.ca

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During 2009, the Canadian Government launched the EQuilibrium Communities Initiative to ‘provide financial, technical and promotional assistance to sustainable community projects’ selected through a national competition ‘to showcase the talents and innovation of Canadian residential developers, planners, designers and municipalities’.19

• energy

It is a joint project of the Canada Housing and Mortgage Corporation and Natural Resources Canada. Six neighbourhood development projects selected through the competition will be judged on:

• land use and housing

• water, waste water and storm water

• transportation

• natural environment

• financial viability.20

The EQuilibrium Communities Initiative is a good example of a nationally funded cross-sectoral project aimed at developing professional skills and excellence, delivering benefits to local communities and increasing resilience to climate change.

Canadian initiatives on urban planning and climate change • Building Resilience to Climate Change in Human Settlements program (2009)

• EQuilibrium Communities Initiative (2009)

• Sustainable Development Strategy 2007–2009

• From Impacts to Adaptation: Canada in a Changing Climate 2007

• Sustainable Development Act 2008

4.4 United States

On 27 July 2010, President Obama placed climate change clearly on the national agenda in the United States with a proposed climate change bill; however, this has not yet been accepted into legislation. The report Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States previously outlined a range of climate impacts and the interrelationship with population growth and urban settlements:

Climate change will interact with many social and environmental stresses. Climate change will combine with pollution, population growth, overuse of resources, urbanization, and other social, economic, and environmental stresses to create larger impacts than any one of these alone (Karl et al. 2009:101).

The report makes ten key findings, two of which are particularly relevant to urban planning and climate change:

• coastal areas are at increasing risk from sea level rise and storm surge (Finding 6)

• climate change will interact with many social and environmental stresses (Finding 8).

19 www.ecoaction.gc.ca/equilibrium-eng.cfm 20 www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/inpr/su/eqsucoin/index.cfm

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These findings are just as relevant in Australia; they confirm the need to develop much stronger links between urban planning and climate change. Importantly the report calls for a rethink of urban planning as a result of climate change:

The movement of populations into harm’s way creates a rising baseline of insured losses upon which the consequences of climate change will be superimposed. These observations confirm a recurring theme in this report: the past cannot be used as a basis for planning for the future (Karl et al. 2009:105).

Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States documents a range of case studies throughout the United States, placing a significant emphasis on urban planning policies and processes to deal with the impacts on infrastructure and development of climate change, including urban heat stress and sea level rise. It concludes that there is a ‘substantial gap between the available information about climate change and the development of new guidelines for infrastructure such as housing, transportation, water systems, commercial buildings, and energy systems’ (Karl et al. 2009:156).

In the United States, urban planning and climate change are being specifically addressed at the city level. The New York City plan (PlaNYC)21 and the New York City Panel on Climate Change (NYCPCC) are examples of serious attempts to bring the issues of urban planning and climate change closer together. The New York example provides a possible template for a more integrated approach to planning for climate change. The PlaNYC Progress Report 201022 foreshadows the release of the comprehensive Climate Change Adaptation in New York City: Building a Risk Management Response.23

The NYCPCC was established during 2008 as a key recommendation of PlaNYC. With the financial support of the Rockefeller Foundation’s Developing Climate Change Resilience program, the New York City Council has established a panel including a wide range of stakeholders to prepare a climate plan of action for the city. Its first major report- Climate Risk Information focuses on future risks to city infrastructure (NYCPCC 2009). In its opening statement, the report states that ‘Climate change poses a range of hazards to New York City and its infrastructure. These changes suggest a need for the city to rethink the way it operates and adapts to its evolving environment’.

The City of Chicago’s Chicago Climate Action Plan is another example that has been inclusive in its approach, focussing on five key areas:

• energy efficient buildings

• clean and renewable energy sources

• improved transportation options

• reduced waste and industrial pollution

• adaptation.24

21 www.nyc.gov/html/planyc2030

22 www.nyc.gov/html/planyc2030/downloads/pdf/planyc_progress_report_2010.pdf 23 Click through from www.nyc.gov/html/planyc2030/html/downloads/download.shtml 24 www.chicagoclimateaction.org

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There are a number of programs within the Chicago Climate Action Plan, many involving urban planning. The City of Chicago has prepared a guide outlining the experience of preparing its climate action plan — Chicago’s Guide to Completing an Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy (City of Chicago 2009).

These city climate change plans are indicative of a range of projects occurring throughout the United States at the local level. The connection between urban planning and climate change is integral to implementing these plans and the work being done at the national level. Links between these two levels of government is critical to achieving long-term change. The United States climate change bill is generating broader discussion on how to incorporate national measures into citywide urban measures, to help deliver the national objectives of climate change mitigation and adaptation.

United States initiatives on urban planning and climate change • White House Office of Urban Affairs 2009

• United States climate change bill 2009

• Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States report 2009

• New York Panel on Climate Change 2008

• PlaNYC (from 2009)

• Chicago Climate Action Plan (from 2006)

4.5 Asia-Pacific region

In the Asia-Pacific region, a considerable number of national or city-specific, projects have been set up with particular focuses on the impacts of sea level rise, extreme weather events, desertification and the planning for urbanisation and climate change. There are too many to be summarised here. International organisations, such as United Nations agencies and the World Bank, are involved, which indicates the importance of urbanisation and climate change in the Asia-Pacific region, where cities are expanding rapidly as evidenced in the United Nations State of World’s Cities 2008/2009: Harmonious Cities (UN-HABITAT 2009a) and State of World’s Cities 2009/2010: Bridging the Urban Divide (UN-HABITAT 2010).

At the international level, the World Bank with partners including the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and UN-HABITAT hosted the urban research symposium ‘Cities and Climate Change: Responding to an Urgent Agenda’ in 2009 to better understand climate change and cities. The symposium focused on five research clusters:

• understanding and measuring how cities impact, and are impacted by, climate change

• planning efficiently and effectively to increase the resilience of cities

• improving management, coordination, and planning of cities to meet climate change challenges

• understanding how and why cities respond to climate change

• understanding and reducing vulnerability of urban populations to climate change.

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At the regional level, the UN and World Bank are supporting a range of initiatives to better understand the impact of climate change on communities and to develop mitigation and adaptation measures. Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA) is one such initiative, which is an example of regional cooperation in Australia’s immediate region, PEMSEA has built up shared knowledge and experience in the Southeast Asia-Pacific region on integrated coastal management through partnerships between governments, agencies and across a range of sectors. In the past, PEMSEA has focused on the environmental challenges of coastal management, but now is also interested in planning for climate change. This is not surprising given that most urbanisation is occurring on coastlines.

PEMSEA organised the East Asian Seas Congress 2009 with the theme: ‘Partnerships at Work: Local Implementation and Good Practices’ in the Philippines in November 2009. At the congress, the third PEMSEA Ministerial Forum ‘Adaptation to Climate Change through Integrated Coastal and Ocean Management’ focused on increasing ecosystem resilience. The Manila Declaration, signed by Cambodia, China, Korea, Indonesia, Japan, Lao, Philippines, Korea, Singapore, Timor-Leste and Vietnam, resolved in part to ‘recognize that our region needs to enhance its capacity building efforts in order to adequately reduce the risks posed by climate change to sustainable development’ (PEMSEA 2009). Such agreements by neighbouring nations are relevant to developing Australian policy responses, particularly in relation to adaptive planning for low-lying urban areas in the Asia-Pacific region.

Although land use systems in the Asia-Pacific region are generally different to Australian urban planning systems, there are opportunities for shared knowledge and understanding on these critical issues. There are also avenues for Australian engagement in programs, such as participation by Australian firms in the carbon neutral sustainable city Dongtan, near Shanghai in China.

Asia-Pacific initiatives on urban planning and climate change • Manila Declaration at the East Asian Seas Congress 2009 on adaptation to

climate change through integrated coastal and ocean management 2009

• World Bank urban research symposium Cities and Climate Change: Responding to an Urgent Agenda 2009

• United Nations and World Bank funding programs on climate change and communities

• Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of South East Asia (PEMSEA)

• Dongtan near Shanghai, China, a carbon neutral sustainable city.

4.6 C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group

C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group is a network of large cities — including Melbourne and Sydney — committed to addressing issues of climate change. It is supported financially by the Clinton Climate Initiative.

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Key initiatives of C40 Cities include:

• the Carbon Finance Capacity Building program with a three-year objective of raising awareness and examining how carbon finance activities could work effectively at a city level

• the Climate Positive Development Program, initiated to ‘meet the dual challenge of rapid urban growth and climate change by setting a new global benchmark for leadership in large-scale urban development’

• the Clinton Climate Initiative City programs to ‘help C40 cities create and consume energy more sustainably’.

The C40 Cities group hosts C40 Large Cities Climate Summits for mayors, senior staff and business leaders from major cities. In Copenhagen, at the UN Climate Change Conference in December 2009, the City of Copenhagen hosted the Copenhagen Climate Change Summit for Mayors with cooperation from C40 Cities and ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability.

Sydney 2008

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5 Nat ional engagement in urban pol icy and cl imate change

The examples discussed in previous section provide an insight to international and national experience on urban planning for climate change, with a wide range of approaches. The challenge is to identify the contributions that climate change policies can make to building more sustainable and resilient cities in Australia.

As discussed elsewhere in this paper, urbanisation and climate change are two major global challenges for national policy, as evidenced by the 2010 Intergenerational Report on demographic and population growth (Australian Government 2010) and the outcomes of the Climate Change Conference 2009 in Copenhagen. They present significant policy challenges for a sustainable urban future, but also significant opportunities to make the transition to a low carbon and resilient urban future.

This section draws upon the discussion from the previous sections — barriers to planning and possible policy responses, Australian and international initiatives in urban planning and climate change — to outline a possible pathway for the Australian Government on planning for climate change and cities. A particular focus is the role the Australian Government can play in facilitating planning responses at all levels of government, and with industry and the community.

Australia is one of the most urbanised nations in the world (DEH 1996, 2001, 2006) and the impacts of climate change are projected to affect major urban areas. Given the high levels of engagement by global organisations and leaders, and the range of activities already occurring at the state and local level, the Australian Government has the opportunity to provide the critical connection between the global and the local, to build an effective bridge to facilitate action on planning for climate change.

In reviewing some of the international and Australian experiences discussed in this paper, a number of key points emerge:

• National policy frameworks for both urban settlements and climate change planning exist, and many countries have the equivalent of a national sustainable development strategy (United Kingdom, European Union, Canada, United States)

• A combination of mitigation and adaptation strategies are necessary for managing climate change and cities.

• Urban planning needs to be better connected with emergency management to plan for more extreme weather events.

• New locations for urban development need to be identified, to accommodate the possible relocation of existing urban communities after extreme weather events and to accommodate the pressures of urban growth in existing metropolitan areas. A national settlements policy would place Australia in a better position of preparedness in the event of disaster.

• Many global organisations and governments at all levels are engaged in identifying and funding programs so that urban and regional planning systems are better equipped to respond to climate change.

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• There is increasing global and regional cooperation in sharing knowledge and learning between nations and cities (eg C40 Cities, PEMSEA, UN-HABITAT, Clinton Climate Initiative).

• Professional and industry training is required to develop skills to meet the demands of building carbon neutral and more resilient built environments.

• Best practice programs and projects should be funded to demonstrate and recognise innovation, particularly at the regional and local level (eg EU Green Capital City awards, national awards, funding by philanthropic organisations, DCCEE Local Adaptation Pathways Program).

The Australia Government has an important role in providing a strategic approach to settlement planning for climate change. This paper raises some discussion points. Many are not new, but have been recommended in various forms over the last decade of national inquiries into urban policy, cities and climate change. Issues are also been raised around the growing body of research on coastal development and climate change, and the need for a national approach to climate change and coastal communities (Gurran et al. 2008, Smith et al. 2008).

The challenge is to create a national framework that enables the Australian urban and regional planning systems to incorporate climate change mitigation and adaptation. This will facilitate the transition to more sustainable and resilient cities and urban settlements. Such a framework could be achieved though agreement by all levels of government through COAG or, as in the United Kingdom and Canada, through national legislation, or using another model, such as in the United States with the White House Office of Urban Affairs.

5.1 Strategic urban policy

Recent initiatives on urban planning and climate change in the United Kingdom, the European Union, Canada, the United States and the Asia-Pacific region all indicate a rapid move towards national approaches. Policy makers and governments are aware of the potential impacts of climate change and the implications and risks for major urban populations. An example in Europe is the development of national climate adaptation plans and cities policies through spatial planning, such as the national spatial planning program for climate change adaptation in the Netherlands. Elsewhere (eg Canada) national urban policy is being linked with state provincial and local city plans. This approach is directly relevant to the three levels of government in Australia.

Climate mitigation and adaptation policy can assist the development of more sustainable cities by providing national strategic direction and by recognising the connections between policy and resilience (UK ODPM 2007). Sustainable Cities 2025, Sustainability for Survival: Creating a Climate for Change, and Climate Change and Environmental Impacts on Coastal Communities inquiries by the Australian House of Representatives provide considerable evidence to support the need for the development of national engagement in urban policy and climate change. Also arising from these inquiries is a significant new issue that requires immediate attention — the need to identify new locations for urban settlement. A national settlements policy would place Australia in a better position of preparedness to either accommodate the relocation of existing urban populations affected by extreme weather (coastal inundation, bushfires, heat, drought) or to accommodate urban growth in existing metropolitan areas.

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5.2 Integrating planning processes

An extensive range of urban planning and environmental policies contribute to the design and structure of Australian cities and regions. Eight urban planning systems combine with national and local environmental policy — these need to be re-evaluated to incorporate national objectives for climate change mitigation and adaptation. Some of this work has begun in individual states such as Queensland and Victoria, or at the city level in Sydney and Melbourne. A major issue raised by the Insurance Council of Australia in its submission to the House of Representatives Inquiry into Climate Change and Environmental Impacts on Coastal Communities is the need to develop much closer links between urban planning and emergency management. Building location and design will affect the resilience of cities to extreme weather events.

Cities are being rebuilt everyday. An effective means to introduce adaptive measures is to build them into everyday decisions in land use planning at the state and local government level. For example, the renovation and retrofitting of existing building stock, the incorporation and facilitation of water and energy efficiency measures in the statutory planning system, and environmental impact assessment processes for larger public and private projects. A practical guide to incorporating changes into urban planning systems would assist local decision makers. Harmonisation of the eight state and territory planning systems would also be immediately beneficial.

Integrated urban planning is a key objective expressed in international planning and climate change policy statements. The location of and access to services matters. The co-location of housing, transport, employment, education and recreation provides social, economic and environmental benefits. In the context of climate change, reducing the environmental impact of journeys to work and developing a low-carbon built environment are important contributions to reducing emissions (Newman et al. 2009).

State and territory urban land authorities and Australian Government agencies can have significant roles in demonstrating best practice in sustainable development. The Transit Cities program in Victoria, where 13 suburbs and regional centres have had plans put in place for revitalisation and transit-oriented development, is an example of co-location and coordinated government action making a difference in growing urban centres. The Transit Cities program has since developed into the Central Activities Districts program (for the urban centres Box Hill, Broadmeadows, Dandenong, Footscray, Frankston and Ringwood), with commitment remaining to the regional transit cities (Ballarat, Bendigo, Epping, Geelong, Latrobe Warragul, Sydenham, Werribee).

These projects have been designed to deliver more sustainable environments for local communities and provide leading examples for other jurisdictions. Public investment in urban transport and ‘place’, supported by appropriate urban governance mechanisms, is essential to deliver an integrated outcome in urban areas.

5.3 Governance, regulation and leadership

Experience overseas suggests a place for national legislation and policy on sustainable development (eg national planning policy statements on sustainable development and supplementary national policy on planning and climate change in

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the United Kingdom). The absence of national urban policy in Australia makes it more challenging to incorporate national climate objectives into the planning systems. One-off individual state, territory and local initiatives may or may not contribute to broader national objectives on climate change.

A more coordinated national response, which has been recognised as important by other nations, should be considered here. As current Australian decision-making processes are not adequate, an alternative might be an approach akin to the United Kingdom’s national planning statements through a Council of Australian Governments Agreement (see Appendix 1 and 2). The benefit of these national statements is the overall framework they provide for states, territories and local government to build on in developing their own sustainable development policies. The cross-sectoral nature of urban policy and climate change makes a national policy even more important — a national set of agreed principles on sustainable cities could integrate the national objectives of climate change.

The European Union is possibly the best example of leadership and innovation in relation to transitioning to low carbon built form. The requirement for national spatial plans and the incorporation of climate change considerations is a significant action. This is the basis for a range of actions to encourage innovation in city design; for example, the European Green Capital Awards. There is already serious competition between the capital cities to become the European Green Capital for a year.

The benefits of leadership and innovation are investment and education in urban planning and design, environmental improvement, and climate change mitigation and adaptation. Integrated national planning statements and innovation awards can make for a powerful combination in encouraging change.

5.4 Research and skills training

For some years in Australia there has been a lack of investment in urban research. The most recent national action was by the Keating Government who established the Australian Housing and Urban research Institute (AHURI) in 1993. AHURI consists of a network of research centres throughout Australia, focused on housing research and funded by the Australian, state and territory governments, the university partners of the institute and third parties.

The State of Australian Cities is a biannual conference focused on presenting current urban and regional planning research. There are also individual research centres at universities. Research is commissioned to support state and local planning and there are also some Australian Research Council research grants available. Overall though, compared to other disciplines, research into Australian cities is relatively limited. The Planning Institute of Australia hosts an annual national planning conference for urban planners to examine leading urban planning practice.

Nevertheless, climate change is a national research priority. Research plans being prepared for DCCEE include a National Research Plan for Settlements and Infrastructure by the National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility. This plan will provide a valuable contribution to the national urban research agenda for sustainable cities. More evidence -based research is necessary to better understand the intersection between urbanisation and climate change, and the impacts on the ground for Australian communities.

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There are arguments concerning the merits or otherwise of patterns of urban settlement daily in the media. A more informed debate would be possible with a national commitment to urban research. International examples of research on urban planning and climate change include the European Union ADAM project and the Canadian Building Resilience to Climate Change in Human Settlements program. The European Urban Knowledge Network is another approach to encouraging collaborative research and sharing of knowledge on urban issues.25

UN-HABITAT, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, is a major global initiative to examine issues on human settlement, including the impacts of climate change on Australia’s neighbouring nations. The President of UN-HABITAT visited Australia in June 2009 with the aim of developing university partnerships on urban and housing research. The Clinton Climate Initiative

The network consists of 17 member states of the European Union, the European Commission and relevant European Union programs.

26 and the Rockefeller Foundation27

Implementing climate change in urban policy and city design will require appropriate professional and industry skills development. There is already an identified national shortage of urban and regional planners and engineers.

are also committed to major research in this area and finance research programs such as the New York Panel for Climate Change and New York City plan (PlaNYC).

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The practical challenge is to deliver this training to both students and teachers. There is a need for skills development in the public sector at all levels of government, and in industry in relation to transitioning to green jobs and the associated technical and further education training programs. Emergency management training is also required, so that more resilient cities can be developed to face increasing extreme weather events. The professional institutes, university vice chancellors and Skills Australia (involved in current, emerging and future workforce skills needs and workforce development needs) will need to be engaged with developing these future training skill requirements for building a low carbon and more resilient urban future.

New skills training is required to equip city planners and industry with the knowledge and skills to design and construct carbon neutral urban development. These skills could be incorporated into current accreditation processes for professional degrees and be supported by ongoing professional development programs.

5.5 A national agenda for urban policy and climate change

The discussion points raised in this section are put forward as possible pathways for national engagement in the challenges of urbanisation and climate change. It is hoped that they will facilitate the transition to low carbon and resilient urban settlement patterns in Australia. This agenda for national action on urban policy and climate change is the beginning of a conversation that must involve the three levels of government, as well as industry and the community.

• Prepare a national policy statement on planning for urban settlements and climate change, to provide an overall strategic framework to support regional

25 www.eukn.org/eukn 26 www.clintonfoundation.org/what-we-do/clinton-climate-initiative 27 www.rockefellerfoundation.org 28 www.immi.gov.au/skilled/general-skilled-migration/pdf/new-list-of-occupations.pdf

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and local initiatives. Include a set of nationally agreed sustainable development principles similar to those found in the United Kingdom, the European Union and Canada. Planning for extreme weather events is a key consideration.

• Develop an integrated approach to strategic planning for urban settlements, incorporating climate change scenarios, to ensure that social, economic and environmental considerations are considered in any review of urban policy and practice. The 2009 Council of Australian Government agreements on strategic planning and national urban policy and the House of Representatives Inquiry into Climate Change and Environmental Impacts on Coastal Communities provide a strong foundation for this. An international example of an integrated approach is the Planning for a Sustainable Future: White Paper (UK DCLG 2007a).

• Support national action on cities and climate change that provides incentives for state, territory and local governments to review and develop their urban policy and regulatory planning regimes so that they move towards climate resilient and low carbon urban settlements. This program should include a review of state, territory and metropolitan urban planning provisions for climate change.

• Make a national funding commitment for the exploration of new opportunities for the future design and redesign of urban settlements for managing climate risk, that could also provide local solutions that could be applied more broadly throughout Australia and internationally.

• Engage with national professional bodies and the tertiary education sector to support training and capacity building for the delivery of new urban plans and strategies developed by capital cities and major regional centres. There is already an identified skills shortage in urban and regional planners, and engineers. New skills will be required in adaptive and risk management planning, particularly in planning for areas of vulnerability (eg coastal inundation, bushfires, drought). New skills will also be required in building and constructing a low carbon and more resilient built environment.

Without careful planning around the points made in this national agenda, there is potential for future urban growth areas to be located in areas at high risk from climate change. This would exacerbate risks to urban communities and become a liability for governments.

5.6 Role of the Australian Government

The transition to a low carbon and more resilient urban future will require a strategic approach to settlement planning for climate change. This policy challenge will involve a number of Australian Government departments and agencies, including:

• Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency

• Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet

• Treasury

• Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government

• Infrastructure Australia

• Major Cities Unit

• Regional Development Australia

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• Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts

• Australia’s Solar Cities

• Attorney-General’s Department, including Emergency Management Australia

• Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, including the Social Housing Initiative and housing policy.

The Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency has adopted a three-pillar strategy:

• mitigation — to reduce Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions

• adaptation — to adapt to the climate change we cannot avoid

• global solution — to help shape a collective international response.

These three pillars are all relevant to an integrated response to settlement planning for climate change. Strategic settlement planning of new urban areas, rebuilding existing urban areas, and sharing professional practice and knowledge with neighbouring countries, all provide significant opportunities for climate change mitigation and adaptation.

As a basis for further discussion, possible roles for DCCEE in contributing to the transition to a low carbon and sustainable urban future include:

• brokering national climate change knowledge and urban growth management

• providing education and research in planning for climate change

• implementing Council of Australian Government decisions on city planning and disaster mitigation

These build on current DCCEE initiatives, such as the Local Adaptation Pathways Program, the Integrated Assessment of Human Settlements subprogram and the National Climate Change Adaptation Research Plan — Settlements and Infrastructure (DCCEE 2010).

Brokering national climate change knowledge and urban growth management

In 2009, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announced a re-engagement of the Australian Government in national urban policy. As Rudd stated ‘climate change is another reason why the national government must be engaged in cities’.29

The spatial impacts of climate change projected by recent reports on coasts and climate change are of concern for major urban populations in Australia. DCCEE can work in partnership with national leaders in industry, and state, territory and local governments, to be a catalyst for change. DCCEE can provide critical and timely

DCCEE is in the unique position of providing the link between climate change science and urban and regional planning, and identifying the potential impacts and opportunities for mitigation and adaptation. No other department is in a position to broker knowledge about climate change for on-the-ground decision makers in planning for future demographic and urban growth.

29 From ‘Building a big Australia: future planning needs of our major cities’ Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s address to the Business Council of Australia 2009 Annual Dinner (click through from www.bca.com.au/Content/99519.aspx).

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information on the potential impacts of climate change to state and territory, metropolitan and regional strategic plans for urban growth. Regional assessments, such as those provided already by the Local Adaptation Pathways Program, are a practical and meaningful way to translate global and national data. Planning processes can use these data to plan urban growth that minimises the risk to urban communities.

Providing education and research in planning for climate change

Climate change research is a relatively new area; thus, it presents substantial opportunities in fostering community education and applied research. Ongoing professional training is particularly important in city planning, so that the knowledge and skills of middle and senior city managers can be increased — it is reasonable to assume that many currently have little or no knowledge about climate change mitigation and adaptation. Professional accreditation bodies, such as Engineers Australia and the Planning Institute of Australia are providing specific training for their members.

The Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency has the opportunity to broaden this knowledge base and target capacity building, particularly in regions identified as at high risk from climate change. There could be measures ranging from professional training modules to postgraduate scholarships for employees involved in city and regional planning. The National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility’s National Climate Change Adaptation Research Plan — Settlements and Infrastructure provides a basis for identifying areas of need in education and research. COAG has also developed a Green Skills Agreement (COAG 2009c).

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A round table discussion with the national built environment professions, the Australian Council of Trade Unions and tertiary training bodies (for engineering, urban planning, urban design, landscape architecture, surveying, building and construction) would be a strategic step forward to identify an integrated approach to fulfilling skill requirements in tertiary and professional training. AusAID and nongovernment organisations involved in capacity building in neighbouring countries at risk from climate change would also benefit from such input from DCCEE.

Implementing COAG decisions on city planning and disaster mitigation

The Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, and Emergency Management Australia (Attorney-General’s Department) need to identify strategic interventions in urban and regional planning systems to promote planning for climate change. The Major Cities Unit, the Australian Local Government Association and Emergency Management Australia are all engaged in developing responses to the COAG decisions of December 2009 (see Appendixes 1 and 2). DCCEE has a vital role in the implementation of these COAG decisions, to ensure that Australian Government departments receive current and appropriate information on climate change mitigation and adaptation.

There will be opportunities to provide for specific funding programs to reform urban and regional planning processes to incorporate climate change considerations, for example in:

• strategic planning, such as

– South East Queensland Regional Plan 2009–2031

– Melbourne 2030: a planning update — Melbourne @ 5 million

• local statutory planning (eg local environment plans) and local planning schemes.

These key elements of planning will need to include climate change considerations. A particular characteristic in Australia is that each state and territory has its own urban planning system — this gives the Local Government and Planning Ministers’ Council a key role in implementation.

Another significant opportunity lies with infrastructure investment and the national criteria adopted by COAG (Appendix 1). Implementation of the ‘Planning of Capital Cities’ criteria by 1 January 2012 will require significant input and guidance by DCCEE to ensure an integrated approach across the jurisdictions on mitigation and adaptation. A priority for DCCEE will be to identify the outcomes and targets it expects from capital city planning to contribute to achieving overall national objectives on climate change.

Direct involvement with emergency management is also required to plan for the predicted increase in frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. Guides for local decision makers to increase urban resilience to extreme weather events are practical projects. An example where this has been successful is Coastal Hazards and Climate Change: A Guidance Manual for Local Government in New Zealand (New Zealand Ministry for the Environment 2008).

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6 Conclusion

This discussion paper addresses international and Australian engagement on the important question of urban planning and climate change. It discusses the many initiatives of global, national and local organisations and argues that, as one of the most urbanised nations in the world, Australia has the opportunity to develop innovative urban planning policies and tools for low carbon communities and more resilient built form. These tools and policies are particularly relevant for climate change mitigation and adaptation in Australia, including our response to extreme weather events.

Planning for climate change will involve innovation in urban plans, processes and projects, including green infrastructure, smart solutions for water sensitive design and energy efficiency, and sustainable urban transport. New locations for urban settlement will need to be identified. Collectively these actions will facilitate the transition to more sustainable and resilient future urban communities.

State, territory and local initiatives will be developed, but they will need the support and partnership of the Australian Government to provide a coordinated and integrated national response to this transformation of our urban settlements. The agenda for urban policy and climate change discussed here provides a pathway forward. Actions will be required in the immediate, short, medium and long term.

The Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency has an essential role to play in building the links between climate science and urban and regional planning. Opportunities for mitigation and adaptation can be identified consistently by DCCEE, and the department is in the best position to work with key stakeholders to achieve national objectives in planning for climate change.

The issue of climate change and growing cities is interdisciplinary and inter-sectoral. A close connection between urban and regional planning, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and emergency management is essential in Australia. Most critical to the success of implementation is the quality of partnerships between government, nongovernment, business and industry, the training sector and the community. DCCEE can play a strategic and important leadership role in linking these groups.

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Appendix 1

National Objective And Criteria For Future Strategic Planning Of Capital Cities, Council of Australian Governments, Communiqué 7 December 2009, Brisbane.

Objective

To ensure Australian cities are globally competitive, productive, sustainable, liveable and socially inclusive and are well placed to meet future challenges and growth.

Criteria

Capital city strategic planning systems should:

• be integrated:

– across functions, including land-use and transport planning, economic and infrastructure development, environmental assessment and urban development

– across government agencies

• provide for a consistent hierarchy of future oriented and publicly available plans, including:

– long term (for example, 15–30 year) integrated strategic plans

– medium term (for example, 5–15 year) prioritised infrastructure and land-use plans

– near term prioritised infrastructure project pipeline backed by appropriately detailed project plans

• provide for nationally-significant economic infrastructure (both new and upgrade of existing) including:

– transport corridors

– international gateways

– intermodal connections

– major communications and utilities infrastructure

– reservation of appropriate lands to support future expansion

• address nationally-significant policy issues including:

– population growth and demographic change

– productivity and global competitiveness

– climate change mitigation and adaptation

– efficient development and use of existing and new infrastructure and other public assets

– connectivity of people to jobs and businesses to markets

– development of major urban corridors

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– social inclusion

– health, liveability, and community wellbeing

– housing affordability

– matters of national environmental significance

• consider and strengthen the networks between capital cities and major regional centres, and other important domestic and international connections

• provide for planned, sequenced and evidence-based land release and an appropriate balance of infill and greenfields development

• clearly identify priorities for investment and policy effort by governments, and encourage world-class urban design and architecture

• provide effective implementation arrangements and supporting mechanisms, including:

– clear accountabilities, timelines and appropriate performance measures

– coordination between all three levels of government, with opportunities for Commonwealth and local government input, and linked, streamlined and efficient approval processes including under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999

– evaluation and review cycles that support the need for balance between flexibility and certainty, including trigger points that identify the need for change in policy settings

– appropriate consultation and engagement with external stakeholders, experts and the wider community.

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Appendix 2

National Disaster Resilience Statement, Council of Australian Governments, Communiqué 7 December 2009, Brisbane

Introduction

Australia has recently experienced a number of large scale and devastating natural disasters, including catastrophic bushfires, far reaching floods, and damaging storms. Natural disasters are a feature of the Australian climate and landscape and this threat will continue, not least because climate change is making weather patterns less predictable and more extreme. Such events can have personal, social, economic and environmental impacts that take many years to dissipate. Australia has and continues to cope well with natural disasters, through well established and cooperative emergency management arrangements, effective capabilities, and dedicated professional and volunteer personnel. Australians are also renowned for their resilience to hardship, including the ability to innovate and adapt, a strong community spirit that supports those in need and the self-reliance to withstand and recover from disasters.

A collective responsibility for resilience

Given the increasing regularity and severity of natural disasters, Australian governments have recognised that a national, coordinated and cooperative effort is required to enhance Australia’s capacity to withstand and recover from emergencies and disasters. A disaster resilient community is one that works together to understand and manage the risks that it confronts. Disaster resilience is the collective responsibility of all sectors of society, including all levels of government, business, the non-government sector and individuals. If all these sectors work together with a united focus and a shared sense of responsibility to improve disaster resilience, they will be far more effective than the individual efforts of any one sector.

Role of government

Governments, at all levels, have a significant role in strengthening the nation’s resilience to disasters by:

• developing and implementing effective, risk-based land management and planning arrangements and other mitigation activities

• having effective arrangements in place to inform people about how to assess risks and reduce their exposure and vulnerability to hazards

• having clear and effective education systems so people understand what options are available and what the best course of action is in responding to a hazard as it approaches

• supporting individuals and communities to prepare for extreme events

• ensuring the most effective, well-coordinated response from our emergency services and volunteers when disaster hits

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• working in a swift, compassionate and pragmatic way to help communities recover from devastation and to learn, innovate and adapt in the aftermath of disastrous events.

Australian governments are working collectively to incorporate the principle of disaster resilience into aspects of natural disaster arrangements, including preventing, preparing, responding to, and recovering from, disasters.

National Disaster Resilience Strategy

The efforts of governments will be assisted by the establishment of a new National Emergency Management Committee that will include experts from Commonwealth, State and Territory and local governments and report to COAG and relevant ministerial councils. The first task of this committee will be to bring together the representative views of all governments, business, nongovernment sector and the community into a comprehensive.

National Disaster Resilience Strategy

This group will also be tasked with considering further those lessons arising from the recent bushfires and floods that could benefit from national collaboration.

Role of business

COAG acknowledges that businesses can and do play a fundamental role in supporting a community’s resilience to disasters. They provide resources, expertise and many essential services on which the community depends. Businesses, including critical infrastructure providers, make a contribution by understanding the risks that they face and ensuring that they are able to continue providing services during or soon after a disaster.

Role of individuals

Disaster resilience is based on individuals taking their share of responsibility for preventing, preparing for, responding to and recovering from disasters. They can do this by drawing on guidance, resources and policies of government and other sources such as community organisations. The disaster resilience of people and households is significantly increased by active planning and preparation for protecting life and property, based on an awareness of the threats relevant to their locality. It is also increased by knowing and being involved in local community disaster or emergency management arrangements, and for many being involved as a volunteer.

Role of nongovernment organisations and volunteers

Non-government and community organisations are at the forefront of strengthening disaster resilience in Australia. It is to them that Australians often turn for support or advice and the dedicated work of these agencies and organisations is critical to helping communities to cope with, and recover from, a disaster. Australian governments will continue to partner with these agencies and organisations to spread the disaster resilience message and to find practical ways to strengthen disaster resilience in the communities they serve.

Strengthening Australia’s disaster resilience is not a stand-alone activity that can be achieved in a set timeframe, nor can it be achieved without a joint commitment and concerted effort by all sectors of society. But it is an effort that is worth making, because building a more disaster resilient nation is an investment in our future.

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