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BUILDING A CLIMATE RESILIENT VICTORIA VICTORIAN CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION PLAN PROGRESS REPORT 1 PAGE Introduction Minister's Foreword 01 Strategic Priority 1 / Managing risks to public assets and services managed by the Victorian Government The Victorian Government released the Victorian Climate Change Adaptation Plan in March 2013, setting out a framework for managing climate risks to critical Victorian Government assets and services. 02 Strategic Priority 2 / Managing risks to natural assets and natural resource-based industries 04 Strategic Priority 3 / Building disaster resilience and integrated emergency management The plan establishes key whole of Victorian Government strategies and strategic priorities to manage the major short and long term climate risks and build community preparedness. The plan addresses six key areas: existing adaptation responses, roles and responsibilities, key strategies and priorities, integrating climate risk management, partnerships and regional focus. 06 Strategic Priority 4 / Improving access to research and information for decision making 10 Strategic Priority 5 / Supporting private sector adaptation 12 Strategic Priority 6 / Strengthening partnerships with local government and communities 16 Regional Snapshots 18 This progress report has been prepared to highlight key achievements and projects that are being delivered as part of the implementation of the plan. The report showcases a number of examples under each of six strategic priorities, followed by a regional snapshot overview of activities across Victoria. What is climate change adaptation Adaptation is about increasing public and private resilience to climate risks through better decisions about managing our built and natural environment and taking advantage of opportunities. Find Out More If you would like to find out more about Climate Change Adaptation please visit our website, email us or call the DEPI Customer Service Centre. Website:www.climatechange.vic.gov.au Email: [email protected] Phone: 136 186 See also:www.depi.vic.gov.au www.emv.vic.gov.au VICTORIAN CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION PLAN PROGRESS REPORT / PAGE 1 MINISTER'S FOREWORD Victoria – A State Evolving This year Melbourne earned the envious title of being the most liveable city in the world for the fourth consecutive year. This honour is testament to our high standard of living, of which our economic strength and health of our environment play a significant part. We intend to maintain our strong reputation. We are taking decisive action to address the challenges associated with the possibility of reduced rainfall, less snowfall, possible sea level rise and higher frequency of heatwaves and drought. A changing climate has the potential to put our public assets and services under pressure if we are not prepared. In 2013, the Victorian Government released Australia's most comprehensive adaptation plan. The plan outlines a pathway and broad suite of adaptation actions to create the right conditions for local government, businesses and the community to lead in their own adaptation efforts and planning for climate risks. By working in partnership across all levels of government and with stakeholders, the plan strikes a sound balance between priorities so we are in the best position to respond to possible future changes without compromising our economic strength or constraining our communities and businesses with excessive restrictions. Since its release all levels of government and business, communities and individuals are working towards better managing the risks of a changing climate. By investing in innovative strategies that are promoting healthy adaptive responses, protecting communities and stimulating new economic opportunities the Victorian Government is adapting to the short, medium and long term impacts of climate change. State and local governments are beginning to integrate climate risk planning into policy settings and existing risk management strategies. Businesses are learning about their responsibilities and growing their understanding of managing risks. Communities are becoming more resilient through on ground action. This all helps Victoria’s progress in adapting to change. I encourage you to take the time to read about the good work being carried out by Victorians in the public and private sectors to ensure Victoria is prepared for the impacts of climate change. The cumulative benefits of each and every action is making a real difference. The Hon Ryan Smith MP Minister for Environment and Climate Change STRATEGIC PRIORITY 1 / MANAGING RISKS TO PUBLIC ASSETS AND SERVICES MANAGED BY THE VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT The Victorian Government manages a large portfolio of public assets and services. Extreme events can cause disruption to services and damage to assets. The government is implementing risk management strategies for any potential risks associated with climate change. 2 CASE STUDY / Alpine & North East Strategic Bushfire Risk Landscape Project Recent bushfire disasters in Victoria have highlighted the need for a more strategic approach to bushfire management. A new computer model called Phoenix RapidFire has been collaboratively developed by the University of Melbourne, Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre and DEPI. The model can simulate the growth and spread of a fire across the landscape, allowing planning to be based on how fires are likely to behave in a given landscape. Strategic Bushfire Management Plans are being developed in seven bushfire risk landscape areas to reduce the impact of major fires on communities and protect people, water, power supplies and the environment. In the Alpine & North East this includes townships, the Alpine Valleys wine region, Alpine Resorts (including Mount Hotham, Falls Creek and Mount Buller), as well as timber resources, agricultural areas and the Alpine National Park. The Alpine & North East Risk Landscape project area covers approximately 15% of Victoria across roughly 26,000 square km. The area stretches from the alpine areas and the Goulburn Valley across to the Murray River and incorporates eight local government areas and three Alpine Resort Board areas. The Strategic Bushfire Management Plan for the Alpine & North East will identify and prioritise areas at risk of fire and assist development of fuel treatment plans to reduce these risks. The plan will be subject to ongoing implementation and evaluation, using the ISO 31000 model of risk management. This includes assessing the risk of fire to communities throughout the area and preparing products and tools to help inform the Fire Operations Plan. This $550,000 project will ensure that fuel treatments in the Hume region are applied where they will be most effective. It will also help other agencies such as the CFA and local government, as well the local community to understand and play their part in reducing these risks. VICTORIAN CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION PLAN PROGRESS REPORT / PAGE 3 Key Achievements / 3 Managing risks for critical infrastructure and essential services: Public Health and Wellbeing Plans and Climate Change: The Critical Infrastructure Resilience Interim Strategy outlines new management arrangements for an all hazards approach in Victoria and was released in December 2013. All Victorian councils have completed Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plans (MPHWP) for 2013-2017. Under the Climate Change Act 2010 MPHWP must have regard to the potential impacts of climate change. Benefit to Victorians Benefit to Victorians Vital service delivery of power, water, transport and telecommunications is not interrupted. This will help local governments to better plan for and improve their communities' resilience to the longterm health impacts of climate change. 5 Community fire refuges at public schools: Through the Community Fire Refuge pilot program, community fire refuges at Millwarra Primary School and Ferny Creek Primary School were opened to use as a last resort survival option in the event of a significant bushfire. Benefit to Victorians Provide a place to go for those at risk during a bushfire. 4 Protecting beaches: The Coastal Environments Program provides funding of $2.3 million per annum for four years, totalling $9.2 million, including funding in 2014-15. This program focuses on reducing damage to critical state infrastructure and Crown land from erosion, sea level rise and storm surges. Benefit to Victorians Beaches remain safe and accessible for Victorians to enjoy. STRATEGIC PRIORITY 2 / MANAGING RISKS TO NATURAL ASSETS AND NATURAL RESOURCE-BASED INDUSTRIES Victoria’s natural environment faces challenges from a changing climate. Managing the risks to our coasts, forests and parks and waterways will allow Victoria to continue to enjoy the benefits of a healthy environment now and in the future. The Victorian Government is addressing these risks with practical action, effective regulation and better services. 6 CASE STUDY / Strategies and policies to protect Victoria’s coasts The Victorian Coastal Strategy 2014 (VCS 2014) was released in September and outlines the Government's policy commitment for coastal, estuarine and marine environments. The VCS 2014 contains a vision for a healthy coast, appreciated by all, now and in the future. It also highlights five key issues including managing population growth; adapting to a changing climate; managing coastal land and infrastructure; valuing the natural environment; and integrated marine planning. In relation to adaptation and managing coastal hazards, the VCS 2014 continues the existing sea level rise planning benchmarks of not less than 0.8m by 2100 and not less than 0.2m by 2040 for urban infill areas. These benchmarks will be reviewed every five years to reflect the latest science. To provide coastal communities and local government with improved information about the potential impacts of sea level rise, the VCS 2014 builds on work completed over the last few years like the Victorian Coastal Inundation Dataset and the Victorian Coastal Hazard Guide. To assist with longer-term adaptation planning the VCS 2014 contains actions such as, sharing the learnings from the four pilot Local Coastal Hazard Assessment projects, being undertaken in Bellarine Peninsula-Corio Bay, Gippsland Lakes-Ninety Mile Beach, Port Fairy and Westernport. The outcomes of these projects will be used to guide the application of this approach in other locations. VICTORIAN CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION PLAN PROGRESS REPORT / PAGE 5 Key Achievements / 7 Maintaining a resilient, healthy environment for a strong productive future: The Victorian Government’s Environmental Partnerships lays the foundation for government, business, industry, community groups and individuals to work together on practical and effective actions to preserve the environment for current and future generations. It outlines government action across eight priority areas that include preparing for the potential impacts of climate change. Environmental Partnerships – One Year On outlines a year of achievements towards the priorities established by Environmental Partnerships. Key initiatives include the 2 Million Trees Program which is planting 1.5 million trees across metropolitan Melbourne and half a million trees along waterways in regional Victoria. Benefit to Victorians Government, business, industry, community groups and individuals working together on practical and effective actions to preserve the environment for current and future generations. 8 9 Building resilience of threatened species and ecosystems: Increasing resilience and connectivity across the landscape: •$15.48 million of funding was provided to the Victorian Environmental Partnerships Program. This two year program addresses critical risks to threatened species and native vegetation in Victoria. This investment supports regional market -based approaches to improve native vegetation management on private land as well as direct local action efforts to protect habitat and manage threatened species habitats and threats . $750,000 is provided each year through the Southern Ark project for landscapescale fox baiting to improve survival rates of small mammals. •The four year, $20 million Communities for Nature Program supports community actions on local environmental priorities. This program will provide up to $5 million in 2014-15 to assist community groups to undertake on-ground activities, such as weed and pest management, cleaning up of waterways, revegetation and fencing, resource recycling and reuse, and biodiversity and habitat preservation. Benefit to Victorians A healthier and more diverse environment that is resilient to climate change. Benefit to Victorians Increased community knowledge about threats to wildlife and demonstrates a partnership approach to managing weeds and pests. Protect and clean up the Yarra and Port Phillip Bay: The Victorian Government is committed to protecting the unique natural assets of the Yarra River and Port Phillip Bay with $7.015 million over four years to implement A Cleaner Yarra River and Port Phillip Bay – A Plan of Action, which outlines how government, business and individuals can work together to protect our waterways. Benefit to Victorians Continues to contribute to the ongoing health of the Yarra River and Port Phillip Bay. STRATEGIC PRIORITY 3 / BUILDING DISASTER RESILIENCE AND INTEGRATED EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT Victoria is no stranger to extreme weather events. In recent years we have experienced events such as drought, fire and flood. These events have the potential to cause disruption to services and business activity as well as damage to public assets and private property. To minimise the impacts the government is focussing on risk management and supporting the community to become more resilient. 10 CASE STUDY / Improving community resilience to flooding The four year FloodZoom program, a flood warning repair and improvement program focusses on improving warning systems, mapping and risk assessments and a web-based intelligence platform. To date the program has provided: •$1.2 million on upgrading flood monitoring gauges across Victorian catchments through the FloodZoom program. The government has completed upgrades to 130 flood warning gauges, with documentation of flood warning systems underway; •$7.6 million for the construction of levees and other flood mitigation works; •Catchment Management Authorities continue to work with local government to improve flood hazard mapping. The flood warning repair and improvement initiative has started flood mapping studies for 26 communities with 14 completed and a further 12 to start in 2014-15. The program aims to improve community resilience to flooding and inundation through better coordination and delivery of emergency preparation, planning, information and response. VICTORIAN CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION PLAN PROGRESS REPORT / PAGE 7 Key Achievements / 11 Supporting vulnerable communities during a major emergency: Health sector planning: A new edition of the Emergency Relief Handbook: a planning guide, which was developed by the Department of Human Services in partnership with the Australian Red Cross was released in November 2013. The third edition of the State Health Emergency Response Plan (SHERP) was released in November 2013. SHERP outlines the arrangements for coordinating the health response to emergency incidents that go beyond day-to-day business arrangements. Benefit to Victorians Benefit to Victorians Provides guidance to local councils for the delivery of relief services to communities affected by emergencies. This includes personal registration, food and water, non-food items, emergency shelter as well as the health and wellbeing of vulnerable people. SHERP is used to monitor increased demand on health services and services to vulnerable people, as well as the impact of power disruptions on hospitals and aged care services. Providing clarity on responsibilities in responding to disaster events: The commencement of Emergency Management Victoria (EMV) began in July 2014. EMV acts as the overarching body for emergency management, coordinating emergency management policy, the implementation of emergency management reform and introduces an all hazards all agencies approach with a focus on community, collaboration and capability. Benefit to Victorians EMV maintains a focus on increasing collaboration between business, communities, government agencies and not-for-profits to work together and build a safer and more resilient community. 12 13 14 Ongoing planning for management of flood and storm risks: Minimising risks to Victorians from bushfire: Reducing the impacts of heatwave conditions on Victorian’s health: • The draft Victorian Floodplain Management Strategy was released on 26 June, 2014 for public comment. The strategy builds on the Government’s response to the Victorian floods review and the Environment and Natural Resources Committee Inquiry into flood mitigation infrastructure. It aims to provide information about flood risk, so communities and relevant agencies can make better informed decisions to manage their risks. •Identified the highest bushfire risk areas and has undertaken planned burning across more than 640,000 hectares of public land since 2010. During the 2013-2014 summer, the Chief Health Officer issued heat health alerts for a total of 13 days when forecast temperatures were expected to reach or exceed heat health temperature thresholds across most of Victoria. •Victoria SES has completed 74 Municipal Flood Emergency Plans and is working to a three-year programme for further updating. VICSES has also completed over 50 local flood guides for communities that have been identified as high risk. Benefit to Victorians Assist households and businesses to avoid or minimise damage and the costs associated with cleaning up from flood events and coordinate emergency preparation and response for floods. Significantly improved access to local and municipal flood threat information, directly raising awareness, preparedness and resilience in those areas. •The new VicEmergency website and Fire Ready App were launched in December 2013. •Seven bushfire risk landscapes have been identified across the state, and a Strategic Bushfire Management Plan is being developed for each. These plans aim to reduce the impacts of major bushfires on communities and to protect people, water, power supply and the environment across the region. The first three strategic bushfire management plans for the Barwon Otway, West Central and East Central risk landscapes are due for release late 2014. Benefit to Victorians Reduces risk to human life, property and infrastructure. Provides easier and improved access to information on emergencies all in the one location. The App provides real time warnings to community members. Benefit to Victorians Allows State and local governments, hospitals and state-wide or major metropolitan health and community service providers to better prepare for times of peak demand. Also encourages Victorians to take appropriate steps to reduce their exposure to heatwaves. VICTORIAN CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION PLAN PROGRESS REPORT / PAGE 9 15 Powerline safety: $200 million over 10 years – The Powerline Replacement Fund is replacing bare-wire overhead powerlines in high risk areas. In addition, over 700 additional network protection devices (automatic circuit reclosers) have been installed. Benefit to Victorians Reducing the risk of fire starting from bare-wire overhead powerlines, creating safer communities. Assisting Victorians to recover from bushfire: The Bushfire Recovery Guide to Services: 2014 Bushfires was released to help communities affected by bushfire to locate relevant government and non-government services that may help with ongoing building and recovery. Benefit to Victorians Providing guidance to help communities rebuild and recover from bushfire events faster. Better information to support local government, businesses and other agencies to better understand emergency risks in Victoria: The report, Emergency Risks in Victoria, was released in April 2014. The report provides information about a range of emergency related risks and a comparison of their severity relative to each other. Benefit to Victorians Assist agencies plan for emergencies at a more detailed local level so they can tailor actions for impacts specific to their region. STRATEGIC PRIORITY 4 / IMPROVING ACCESS TO RESEARCH AND INFORMATION FOR DECISION MAKING To support effective risk management and planning for climate change the government is investing in research to inform government planning and build adaptive capacity in the public and private sector. This priority supports coordinated, action-oriented research and increases the availability and accessibility of this research to build Victoria’s climate resilience. 16 CASE STUDY / Supporting agricultural production to flourish in changed conditions To manage the long term impacts to agricultural production that are associated with a changing climate the Victorian government is investing in research to ensure Victoria’s agricultural industry continues to be productive. The Victorian Government and the Grains Research and Development Corporation contributed $3 million each to construct the Australian Grains Genebank at Horsham to acquire, conserve, characterise and distribute grain crop genetic resources for productivity outcomes and climate change adaptation. Scientists are exposing wheat to artificial heatwaves in purpose-built chambers to better understand the impact of extreme weather on wheat yield and quality. Researchers are testing the impact of heat shock on crops, which is short periods of more than 35 degrees Celsius. The knowledge gained from this research will help our agricultural sector prepare for the future. The Growing Food and Fibre initiative is providing $10.6 million in funding over four years for research at Horsham and AgriBio (Bundoora) that is contributing to the development of varieties of canola and wheat with higher yields and productivity improvements to manage issues such as drought, diseases and pests. Grain varieties that grow better in tougher conditions will help the agricultural industry adapt to predicted changes in climate. Research has shown production levels rise when replacing short-season canola varieties with long-season varieties. A team of climate and seasonal risk specialists are helping to improve the skills of grain industry service providers and farmers in climate adaptation and seasonal variability management, planning and risk management. Activities include delivering a range of seasonal risk tools to help farmers plan, prepare and respond, including the “Break” e-newsletter, Youtube series and regional forums. VICTORIAN CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION PLAN PROGRESS REPORT / PAGE 11 Key Achievements / 17 Research and capacity building in the agriculture industry: •The Australian Grains Free Air CO2 Enrichment (AGFACE) project at the Horsham Grains Centre of Excellence has demonstrated that elevated CO2 levels increase grain yield, however this is highly variable leading to reduced grain quality and impacts on bread production. Current work is seeking solutions to these issues and the impacts of heat stress at flowering. •The Dairy Futures Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) is a seven year $120 million investment in plant and animal genetic programs, based at DEPI. This large-scale partnership between dairy farmers, pasture and cattle breeding companies, government and researchers includes research projects aiming to help Victoria's farmers adapt to a changing climate, including ways to improve the quality of warm climate forage crops. •The Centre for Expertise in Smoke Taint Research is testing the Smoke Taint Risk calculator, designed to reduce the risk of smoke taint in grapes and wine by predicting seasonal timing of grapevine growth stages and their associated risk to smoke uptake and taint development in wine. Benefit to Victorians Help farmers manage risks and identify opportunities associated with seasonal variances influenced by climate change. 18 Bushfire Risk Modelling: DEPI’s risk-based approach for quantifying bushfire risk to life and property is based on the innovative use of specifically designed computer modelling software to simulate bushfires: Phoenix RapidFire. The software draws on years of scientific research into bushfire behaviour, weather systems, fuel and topography to enable systematic and repeated simulations and monitoring of bushfire behaviour in the landscape. It was developed by DEPI, the University of Melbourne and the former Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre. 19 Managing risks to the built environment from sea level rise and coastal inundation: Four Local Coastal Hazard Assessments are being completed at Port Fairy, Bellarine Peninsula, Western Port and Gippsland Lakes/90 Mile Beach, in partnership with local councils and catchment management authorities. Benefit to Victorians These assessments will provide up-todate data on storm surge and possible sea level rise to help local and regional decision-makers manage risks from coastal erosion and flooding. Benefit to Victorians Phoenix RapidFire is an invaluable tool for strategic bushfire management planning. It helps land managers and communities identify areas at high risk from bushfires and measure the effectiveness of potential fuel management activities in terms of risk reduction. This information is used, along with input from local communities, to better target fuel management works, like planned burning. 20 Research and capacity building in whole-of-water-cycle management: The Victorian Government is investing in the CRC for Water Sensitive Cities to support research and capacity building in whole-of-water-cycle management across government, industry and the community to improve liveability, resilience and environmental outcomes. Benefit to Victorians Support sustainable, resilient, productive and liveable communities. STRATEGIC PRIORITY 5 / SUPPORTING PRIVATE SECTOR ADAPTATION Creating the right conditions for the private sector to adapt, innovate, and manage their risks is a key priority for the government. 21 CASE STUDY / Securing Victoria’s water supply through Whole of Water Cycle Management The Victorian Government is transforming Victoria’s urban water cycle to create an innovative and integrated water system. Melbourne’s Water Future - released by the Victorian Government in December 2013 - offers a new Whole of Water Cycle Management (WWCM) approach to managing water in the urban environment. The strategy takes a forty year outlook to embedding whole of water cycle planning and management and increasing the use of alternative local water sources. Over the long term the strategy aims to reduce urban flooding through initiatives such as: •mapping properties and infrastructure at risk of flash flooding from local drainage systems and riverine flooding as part of regional and local water cycle planning; •working with relevant government agencies to map properties and infrastructure at risk of coastal and storm surge flooding; •reviewing flood control design responses for new subdivisions; and •trialling new flood prevention measures in established suburbs. Through the Living Victoria Fund the Victorian Government is supporting over 40 projects which address climate adaption in a range of ways: •Planning projects - Integrated water resource and land use planning to identify locally appropriate WWCM solutions to respond to population growth, infrastructure constraints, environmental impacts and community aspirations; •Demonstration projects - Highlighting the use of novel technologies delivering WWCM outcomes. For example, $307,000 has been provided to test the feasibility of using stormwater to irrigate trees in four typical residential neighbourhoods in the Monash council area. The project will research the development of simple, cost effective irrigation systems to water Melbourne region’s millions of street trees; and •Information projects - Improving knowledge gaps and developing new analytical techniques to assess WWCM opportunities. VICTORIAN CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION PLAN PROGRESS REPORT / PAGE 13 Key Achievements / 22 Targeted guidance for business: Tourism Victoria has developed crisis management tools to assist the tourism industry at all levels to plan for, respond to, and recover from crisis events both man-made and natural. These include: •the Open for Business crisis management online resource, which has been updated to include new case studies of tourism businesses impacted by recent crisis events; •a tourism destination crisis management guide to help tourism destination managers to develop a Tourism Crisis Management Plan that is tailored to the needs of their area or region and which is adaptable to any crisis situation; and •a new toolkit to help tourism businesses prepare for bushfires, which takes business owners through a seven step process to develop a plan that suits their business. The Tourism Business Fire Ready Kit was prepared in partnership with the Country Fire Authority. Benefit to Victorians Businesses and tourist destinations recover faster from extreme events. 23 Improving resilience of private buildings: Supporting resilient community assets: The Victorian Government released Plan Melbourne in May 2014, which supports extension of the vegetation cover of metropolitan Melbourne. Initiatives include addressing impediments to planting more canopy trees along priority roads and investigating opportunities to extend City West Water’s ‘Greening the West’ program. The Community Facilities Funding Program supported 125 projects including water efficiency works and planting of warm weather grass at country sports fields; as well as measures to improve the energy efficiency and running costs of community facilities. Benefit to Victorians Making our city greener can contribute to cooling built up areas during heatwaves. 24 Assisting households in their water use: Right Water was launched by the Victorian Government in February 2014 to encourage Victorian households to make greater use of rain water. Benefit to Victorians Household water supplies are more secure, with less pressure on urban water supply. This reduces the likelihood of future water restrictions. Benefit to Victorians Communities can continue to live and engage in much loved recreational activities rather than see facilities fall into disrepair and become unusable which is also a loss to local economies. 25 Developing integrated water cycle management: • Melbourne’s Water Future outlines a new Whole of Water Cycle Management approach that seeks to make improved use of alternative local water sources, to provide a safe and resilient water services system at lower cost, while delivering liveability and environmental benefits. •The $50 million Living Victoria Fund is currently supporting over 40 projects addressing whole of water cycle management. $15 million was made available for the second round of funding, with successful projects expected to be announced in late 2014. Benefit to Victorians Supporting liveable and sustainable communities while protecting the environmental health of urban waterways and bays. Secure water supplies, protect public health and deliver affordable essential water services. By reducing our reliance on water from regional Victoria we are also decreasing pressure on regional river systems and water supplies. 26 27 Managing bushfire hazards: Improving irrigation infrastructure: Amended the Bushfire Management Overlay and bushfire provisions to support the resilience of communities in urban areas and provided a $700,000 assistance fund to help landowners in high risk areas with specialist advice and help local councils streamline planning permit requirements. •In partnership with the Commonwealth Government the $100 million Victorian Farm Modernisation Project was announced for upgrading irrigation facilities to improve water efficiency on farms. Benefit to Victorians Reduce the impacts of bushfire on human life, property and community infrastructure. •Victoria has secured $103 million for the Sunraysia Modernisation Project to bring ageing irrigation infrastructure in line with contemporary irrigation standards. •Goulburn Murray Water Connections Project: The Victorian Government, Commonwealth Government, Melbourne Water and local irrigators are investing more than $2 billion to upgrade the water delivery network in Northern Victoria. The Project is scheduled for completion in 2018. Benefit to Victorians Improvements will save water for farmers and the environment in the Goulburn-Murray Irrigation District and is expected to deliver 53 gigalitres of water savings, with 30 gigalitres going to the environment, helping to build more resilience to the challenge of drought. The modernisation will improve water delivery management and irrigation services. Improvements will assist irrigation communities to remain viable and productive despite the challenges of drought and a changing climate. VICTORIAN CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION PLAN PROGRESS REPORT / PAGE 15 28 STRATEGIC PRIORITY 6 / STRENGTHENING PARTNERSHIPS WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND COMMUNITIES Partnerships between the Victorian Government and the local government sector are a critically important mechanism for adaptation planning across Victoria. 29 CASE STUDY / Climate resilient communities of the Barwon South West With support from the Victorian Government, ten councils in Victoria’s South West are working with local partners to make their operations more resilient to the effects of climate change. These partners include Barwon Water, Corangamite Catchment Management Authority, G21 Geelong Regional Alliance, Glenelg Hopkins Catchment Management Authority, Great South Coast Group, Wannon Water, Western Coastal Board, VicRoads and Powercor. In Barwon South West Region, fire, flood and drought have all had significant impacts on local communities, industries and economies in the past and these types of events are expected to become more frequent and more severe under future climatic changes. The Climate Resilient Communities project gives the region the information needed to understand the risks and be better equipped to prepare for or respond to these events into the future. Climate Resilient Communities of the Barwon South West has produced region-specific data to equip project partners with an accurate understanding of climate risks to the region and aid in identification of priority actions to address these risks. The project will help communities throughout the region understand what the risks or opportunities are from future extreme weather events and help council prepare for these events. The project has engaged more than 120 staff from across the ten councils and range of partner agencies to explore the impacts of extreme climate events in their area and identify key risks to their business operations. The second phase of the project will deliver regional priority projects to manage the risks identified. All ten councils received further state government funding to work together to implement these projects. VICTORIAN CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION PLAN PROGRESS REPORT / PAGE 17 Key Achievements / 30 31 Supporting local government build the resilience of their communities through planning and action: Boosting the level of expertise within local government to plan for climate change: $4.79 million – the Victorian Adaptation and Sustainability (VAS) Partnership is delivering funding for 39 local government projects that enhance local climate resilience. Seventy Victorian councils are involved in the projects either as lead council or as a partner. Three Local Government Mentors have been recruited for a two-year $1.25 million innovative pilot project that will provide all councils in Victoria that would like to participate with the key skills and information needed to help their communities to adapt to climate change. Benefit to Victorians Benefit to Victorians Victorians are involved in planning for the future of their communities and have confidence that decisions are being made locally that will make communities more resilient. Sharing information can reduce the costs associated with adapting to climate change by learning from others examples so that we are not constantly starting from scratch. Creating more clarity around state and local government’s responsibilities as we prepare for a changing climate: A Memorandum of Understanding between state and local government establishes a strong, shared foundation to continue to work together to clarify responsibilities relating to climate change adaptation. Benefit to Victorians Gives communities confidence that actions are delivered in a more coordinated way without duplicating efforts or leaving risks to community, the economy or the environment unmanaged. Loddon Mallee Grampians Hume Greater Melb Barwon South West Gippsland 32 BARWON SOUTH WEST Roadside Biodiversity Value Mapping for Bushfire Risk Roadsides Funded through the VAS Partnership, Glenelg Shire Council received $40,000 to prepare for climate change by mapping flora and fauna biodiversity to protect sites of significant roadside vegetation in bushfire risk areas. Heatwaves and Social Vulnerability Through $150,000 VAS Partnership funding, this project will identify and build resilience for people who are most vulnerable to the impacts of heatwaves and increased heat. The project is being led by City of Greater Geelong in partnership with Surf Coast Shire. Enabling Adaptation Action for Vulnerable Rural Persons The focus of this project in Southern Grampians Shire is investigating the means to increase the capacity of vulnerable rural populations to better plan for the impacts of climate variability and change. The VAS partnership provided $67,000 to this project. 33 GRAMPIANS Listening to the Land; Looking to the Future This $200,000 VAS Partnership project led by Hepburn Shire is informing planning to optimise food and fibre producing landscapes and ensure biodiversity continues to be able to provide a wide range of ecosystem services in a changing climate. Supporting Change and Adaptation in Northern Grampians Shire Led by Northern Grampian Shire Councils, this project will see councils work with their communities to improve sustainability and resilience to climate change impacts. Council will aim to increase resilience and contribute to the economic, environmental and social well-being of the community and region. Building Resilience in Farming Communities and Agri-business The VAS partnership provided $200,000 to a collaborative project between West Wimmera Shire, Yarriambiack Shire and Horsham Rural City to investigate barriers to farmers and agri-business looking to source and implement innovative and sustainable practices. The project includes the development of an information conduit and knowledge broker to be implemented in the second year of the project. 34 LODDON MALLEE Resilient Community Assets Central Goldfields Shire is leading a $240,000 government funded collaborative project to strengthen cooperation between six municipalities. The project improves local adaptation decision-making by identifying current and potential future economic and community vulnerabilities to climate change and identifying actions to manage risks and build resilience. Creating a Climate-Resilient Southern Loddon Mallee The City of Greater Bendigo, in partnership with six Loddon Mallee councils, is leading a project to ensure communities are better prepared for climate change by identifying regional adaptation opportunities which respond to the region’s extreme and high climate-related vulnerabilities expected for 2030. Carbon Action Plans DEPI Loddon Mallee is working with North Central CMA to develop a regional Carbon Action Plan. The plan will integrate existing regional strategies and help guide the types and locations of carbon farming and biodiversity activities to help maximise the benefits for biodiversity, water and agricultural production, including co-benefits such as landscape connectivity, resilience and wildlife corridors. VICTORIAN CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION PLAN PROGRESS REPORT / PAGE 19 REGIONAL SNAPSHOTS / ADAPTATION ACTION IN VICTORIA'S REGIONS This section illustrates the diversity of climate-related issues to consider in Victoria and provides a brief overview of the types of projects underway in our regions. The projects range from those related to community education, research and capacity building, to risk assessments, mapping and infrastructure management. 35 HUME 36 GIPPSLAND 37 GREATER MELBOURNE Communities adapting to climate change: Building resilience to overcome hazards Integrating Climatic Impacts into Local Government Processes across Gippsland Through $100,000 VAS Partnership funding, this project by Alpine Shire includes education and capacitybuilding actions to build resilience in communities and local economies. It explores integrating fire-management, sustainability and tourism and researching options for protecting catchments and energy supplies in times of crisis. Gippsland councils, led by East Gippsland Shire, are developing decision pathways and processes to ensure a consistent approach to adaptation planning through $200,000 VAS Partnership funding plus council funding and in-kind support. The project integrates climate risk and adaptation into local and regional strategies. Through $200,000 VAS Partnership funding, this project is being led by the City of Port Phillip in partnership with the Association of Bayside Municipalities. The project is supporting councils and coastal communities prepare for the impacts of sea level rise, coastal inundation and storms expected to increase as a result of the changing climate. Concept design for coastal flooding adaptation – progress and demonstrate implementation Bushland and Urban Biodiversity Management in a Changing Climate P.II VAS Partnership has provided $80,000 to East Gippsland Shire to develop concepts for coastal adaptation solutions for two township areas vulnerable to impacts such as estuarine flooding, storm surge, sea level rise induced inundation and erosion. Options for hard and soft engineering solutions will be tested. With Victorian Government funding of $73,000 this project, led by City of Boroondara, is assisting local governments to better manage public land biodiversity assets. It is developing and trialling a framework to monitor natural ecosystem responses to change and developing adaptive management techniques. Gippsland Lakes and 90 Mile Beach Local Coastal Hazard Assessment Financial Risk Adaptation Planning Climate Change Adaptation Action Plans The VAS Partnership contributed $120,000 to Indigo, Towong and City of Wodonga councils to undertake risk assessments of potential climate change impacts on their operations, the environment, community and economy to help identify and prioritise actions and opportunities. Resilient Community Facilities Wangaratta, Indigo, Towong, Benalla, Alpine and Wodonga councils recognise that rural community facilities serve multiple functions. This $200,000 project will identify key facilities and conduct lower cost retrofits to ensure community facilities provide the best resource possible for the impacts of climate events. This project gathered data from this representative coastal location to aid decision makers such as local governments and regional agencies to identify and plan for hazards and potential changes to the coast over time and inform adaptation plans to assess risks and identify actions. Plan for Port Phillip Bay – a regional coastal adaptation framework Seven councils across Greater Melbourne and the Gippsland region are working together to develop a model to assist financial planners understand climate risks and integrate them into council’s corporate risk assessments. The project is being led by the City of Casey. Photo Credits PHOTO NUMBER Cover 1 Photo by M. Chew Cover 2 © State of Victoria, Department of Environment and Primary Industries Cover 3 Photo by R. Blackburn 1 Photo by K. Woo Kim 2, 9, 10, 15, © State of Victoria, Department of Environment 16, 19, 24, and Primary Industries 27, 29, 30 3 Photo by D. Hannah 4 Photo by W. Hennecke 5, 26 © CFA Strategic Communications 7 © Parks Victoria 8 Photo by C. Jordan 11, 13 © CFA 12 © Vic Roads 14 Photo by C. Norwood 17 Photo by A. Bruzzone 18 Photo by D. Nielsen 20, 21, 25 © State of Victoria, Office of Living Victoria 22 Daylesford and the Macedon Ranges 23 © Southern Grampians Shire 6, 28 Photo by K. Stepnell 31 © Municipal Association of Victoria 32 Photo by M. Watson 33 Photo by R. Blackburn 34 Photo by M. Dunn 35 Photo by P. Dunphy 36, 37 © Parks Victoria Authorised and published by the Victorian Government, 1 Treasury Place, Melbourne Printed by Impact Digital, Brunswick ISBN 978-1-74146-292-0 (Print) ISBN 978-1-74146-293-7 (pdf) Accessibility If you would like to receive this publication in an accessible format, such as large print or audio, telephone 136 186 or email [email protected] Unless indicated otherwise, this work is made available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia licence. To view a copy of this licence, visit creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/au It is a condition of this Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Licence that you must give credit to the original author who is the State of Victoria.