2017-12-12 Planning & Environment Committee Agenda

PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA   12 DECEMBER 2017




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PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                             12 DECEMBER 2017

           COUNCIL POLICY - CLIMATE CHANGE

           OBJECTIVES

           The objectives of Council in implementing this policy are to:
           e   Support long-term financial planning, asset management, infrastructure delivery, land use
               planning, disaster management and other key Council processes with consistent, timely and
               scientifically-sound information related to climate change.
           e   Ensure that climate change adaptation is a core component of planning for a more resilient
               Noosa Shire and is also embedded across Council's functions and activities.
           e   Comply with applicable legal requirements and implement any relevant State and Federal
               government policies, guidelines and/or directives.
           e   Provide timely, up-to-date, coordinated and balanced information to Council and the community
               on climate change in order to create a more holistic response and to build community resilience.
           e   Develop and implement appropriate adaptation and mitigation actions in response to climate
               change
           IMPLEMENTATION

           To meet the challenges of climate change and satisfy the above, Council will:
           e   Take an adaptive management approach and periodically undertake a climate change risk
               assessment for Council and the Local Government Area, consistent with ISO 31000:2009;
           e   Develop a Climate Change Adaptation Plan for the Noosa Shire;
           e   Continue to implement a Zero Emissions Organisational Strategy for Council;
           e   Regularly review its policies, strategies, plans and other relevant systems, where their content
               may be affected by climate change, to ensure they remain current as the science of climate
               change develops;
           e   Ensure that Council's actions, decisions and policy response to climate change remains current
               and reflects Council’s financial and operational capacity;
           e   Ensure availability of appropriate financial resources for climate change related initiatives,
               including pursuit of grant and other external funding opportunities;
           e   Review the provisions of the planning scheme to ensure that future development is designed and
               located in a way that appropriately considers climate change risk;
           e   Work cooperatively with other councils and the State Government to seek synergies and ensure
               that respective roles and responsibilities are appropriate and duplication is avoided; and
           e   Build the adaptive capacity and also the resilience of Council and its community through active
               engagement, communication and learning opportunities regarding climate-related risks and
               emissions reduction measures.

           Council recognises the important role of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
           Council will commence a review of relevant Council actions and programs in relation to new IPCC
           assessment reports within 12 months of their publication. Council will use, as a minimum, the top
           global Representative Concentration Pathway (currently RCP8.5) during decision making. Where
           reliably available, Council will also seek to utilise climate change projections specific to the Noosa
           region.
           Where possible, Council will use climate change projections that are consistent with those used or
           referenced by the Queensland Government for use in Council's hazard or risk determinations. In the
           absence of these, Council will seek to apply factors contained in projections provided by the
           Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO). Rainfall variations for flood
           modelling and other decision-making will be based on the latest Australian Rainfall and Runoff
           Guidelines’ section on Climate Change Considerations.
           COMMUNICATION

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