Planning for Climate Change in Coastal Victoria

Sea-level rise, storm surges and changing weather patterns along oceans and coasts are issues of increasing urgency for Australia as rising numbers of people seek the sea-change lifestyle. A survey of the Australian state of Victoria's 22 coastal municipalities was employed to assess the degree to which they recognise climate change as a threat to their coastal zones. Questions were also used to gain an understanding of the adaptive capacity of the municipalities to coastal vulnerabilities and to highlight current and future strategies for adapting to climate change along coasts. The findings show that climate change is not being addressed adequately via statutory planning in Victoria.