Climate change hits home

Arthur Gorrie | 28th October 2009

SUGGESTIONS Australian governments may have to ban development in many coastal areas met with a "stop and think" response from Gympie Regional Mayor Ron Dyne.

OCEAN AT BAY: Norman Point was awash earlier this year, as visitors found themselves doing more wading than walking in king tide conditions.

Craig Warhurst/Gympie Times

SUGGESTIONS that Australian governments may have to ban development in many coastal and nearby areas met with a “stop and think” response from Gympie Regional Mayor Ron Dyne yesterday.

A Federal Parliamentary task force has called for urgent action to protect Australia from the effects of climate change, with a claimed likelihood that sea levels may rise more than 80cm this century.

The House of Representatives standing committee on climate change, water and the environment has warned that thousands of kilometres of the Australian coastline are at risk from the twin threats of rising sea levels and extreme weather - raising concerns locally about low-lying areas from Tin Can Bay to Inskip Point.

But Cr Dyne says it is too early to sell off that beach front property and assume the worst.

“I don't think a lot of our council area would be affected,” he said.

“They've made general comments about the whole Australian coastline and I think we want to know what the effect is likely to be here.

“It's very difficult to just take this committee's opinion without some detailed facts.

“What we want to see is exactly how it will affects the Gympie Regional Council area,” he said.

Recommendations in the report include drastic suggestions to protect investments and insurance companies from weather, floods and erosion affecting almost 250,000 buildings around the nation.

It highlights Queensland's heavily developed coastal areas, claiming that Queensland is at most risk of all Australian states from projected sea level rises and other climate change effects.

Insurance issues are raised particularly in one recommendation affecting coastal areas.

THE report recommends government agencies look at possible responses to a withdrawal of insurance in some areas.

The committee of federal MPs has spent 18 months examining climate effects on coastal Australia.

The report comes as the federal Government and Opposition begin difficult negotiations on emission trading legislation.

Committee chair, Labor's Jennie George, wants all Australian governments to join in the effort to prepare for rising seas.

She says this would replace what many see as complex and fragmented action by various governments and their agencies.

Committee deputy chair, Liberal MP Mal Washer, says Australia's coastline is already a disaster of artificial interference, already dependent in many areas on sand pumping and sand bagging in extreme weather situations.

Implications for the insurance industry were highlighted in the report, which has significant implications for the 80 per cent of Australians who live at or near the coast.

The committee has recommended that the Productivity Commission investigate insurance industry implications and has even suggested that the commission look into ways of banning occupation or development of land facing such hazards.

The report contains 47 wide ranging recommendations which could have serious effects on development plans in lower lying areas of Tin Can Bay, including Norman Point, Crab Creek, as well as areas like Inskip Point.

Recommendations also include mandatory disclosure to potential purchasers of all known climate change risk data.

The report also calls for the Australian Law Reform Commission to devise ways to force the redesign, relocation, rebuilding, elevation or retreat form threatened property.