New data helps local decision makers plan for possible sea level rise
Local decision makers and communities will have access to better guidance and information with today's release of detailed mapping of Victoria's coastline.
Minister for Environment and Climate Change Ryan Smith said coastal inundation data, maps and guides would give local councils and planning authorities a better picture of how sea level rise will affect their coastline and allow them to plan for the future accordingly.
State-wide coastal inundation maps showing flooding from possible sea level rise and the Victorian Coastal Hazard Guide were released today from the Victorian Coalition Government's Future Coasts program.
"The release of the Future Coasts data delivers on the Coalition Government's election commitment to support detailed mapping of our coastline in preparation for storm surges and possible sea level rises," Mr Smith said.
"It complements the planning amendments announced earlier this month that reflect the Coalition Government's pragmatic approach; providing greater certainty so that appropriate development may continue in a measured and effective way.
"Local authorities and the communities they support are best placed to make decisions about how they manage the risks of rising sea levels along their coasts," Mr Smith said.
The Coalition Government, through the release of these state-wide maps and hazard guide provides new information to support better informed strategic and regional scale decision-making about the management of the coast's natural and built environments. This will help local councils and communities adapt to the risks of sea level rise through better strategic planning.
The state-wide coastal inundation mapping is consistent with previously released Commonwealth Government inundation maps, but now provides information about the whole of Victoria's coastline.
To support local and property-scale decision making, more detailed local coastal hazard assessments are now underway at Port Fairy, and Gippsland Lakes.
Led by local authorities in conjunction with the Department of Sustainability and Environment and Department of Planning and Community Development, two more of these localised assessments will be undertaken later this year in priority areas.
To access the Victorian Coastal Inundation Maps and Victorian Coastal Hazard Guide and more information about the spatial data visit www.climatechange.vic.gov.au
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