Local adaptation responses in climate change planning in coastal Queensland

This paper reviews adaptation actions in climate change strategies by four urban Queensland coastal councils (e.g. Cairns, Gold Coast, Redland, and Sunshine Coast), and two community-based climate action plans for Bribie Island, and the Noosa Biosphere. The actions in these six plans are analysed for their adaptive response categories: Emphasising Nature, Emphasising Development and Managed Nature (Vasey-Ellis 2009), along with Council Governance of climate change, and Emphasising Community. Climate change planning and infrastructure responses by Queensland coastal councils mainly focus on protecting coastal development from erosion and other climate hazards, and building community resilience, supplemented by 'soft' environmental actions protecting nature. While some climate change plans for coastal areas included actions for shoreline erosion, coastal inundation, and storm surges, only two addressed sea level rise impacts. This review found an integrated mix of adaptation actions for nature, governance and community is required for enhanced adaptive capacity at the local level.