Staying safe in a changing climate

About

Cardinia Shire Council declared a climate emergency in September 2019 given our climate is changing. The science projections tell us that, between now and 2050, Cardinia will experience a higher number of days over 35 degrees, longer heatwaves and reduced overall rainfall but with more frequent, short intensity rainfall events. 

At the same time, our community is growing and becoming increasingly diverse. There are individuals and groups who may find it more difficult to adapt to, deal with or recover from extreme weather events and natural disasters such as flooding, storm surge and bushfires. 

Climate change impacts are already affecting our environment, society and economy. While global efforts to tackle climate change are increasing, the science is clear that these efforts are not enough to keep global temperatures below 1.5 degrees of warming.

From our work with South East Councils Climate Change Alliance (SECCCA), we understand that the individuals and groups vulnerable to climate change in Cardinia include those who: 

• live in older housing stock outside of the growth corridor
• expend more than 30 per cent of income on mortgage or rent
• consistently work outdoors and/or who rely on agriculture for their livelihood 
• live on their own, are single parents, or isolated from friends and family
• are new to the area and unfamiliar with both local climate and history of natural disaster events such as flooding and bushfires 
   

What is Council doing?

Council continues to take climate action to reduce our impact on the environment and increase our capacity to adapt to climate change. By building resilience across the Shire, we will reduce exposure to the unavoidable impacts of a climate change. 

Biodiversity and Biolinks Plan
The Strategies provide a holistic approach to delivering healthy, green and resilient landscapes and help tackle climate change. Together these strategies will help Council manage and enhance the environment to create a cooler, greener shire that benefits our community’s health and wellbeing. 
 
Solar Energy Helping Power our Buildings
Council has been installing solar panels across its building portfolio for over a decade. From no solar panels on any Council buildings, to solar power capacity reaching more than 1.2 MW, it is been a key component of our ongoing energy transition. 
 
Sustainable Buildings
Council’s Enhanced Standard – Sustainable Buildings is helping Council deliver sustainable buildings that are comfortable to work in, have lower operating costs and that help reduce carbon emissions – both during construction and operation. 
 
Renewable Power Purchasing Agreement
To work towards zero net carbon emissions, Cardinia Shire has worked together with over 50  other councils combined purchasing power to purchase its electricity needs from 100% renewable resources at a reduced cost. 
 
Power Purchasing Agreements can be found at the Victorian Energy Collaboration (VECO) website. 

Declaration of a Climate Emergency
Council joined a growing number of Councils and Cities around Australia and declared a ‘Climate Emergency’ committing us to action on climate change.
 

What can you do?

Council is committed to supporting residents in ongoing efforts to adapt to climate change, aligned to our Climate Change Adaptation Strategy 2022 – 33. To prepare for climate risks and extreme weather events, there are practical ways you can stay safe and prepare to adapt.

For homeowners, renters and new residents: 

• Explore eligibility to participate in the Victorian Energy Upgrades program. Under the program, upgrades include replacing old appliances, installing energy-efficient products and improving building insulation. All these things can save you money and protect your home during changing seasons. 
• Optimise heating and cooling systems to suit the season (air conditioning systems should be set to 24 – 26 degrees in summer, and heating to 18 - 20 degrees in winter, balancing thermal comfort and energy efficiency). The cost of air-conditioning can be reduced by using a fan at the same time in the warmer months. 
• Consult our Home Energy Handbook for practical ways to improve energy efficiency and thermal comfort. See: Increase your household energy efficiency - Cardinia Shire Council for further information.  
• Consider planting climate-suitable fruit and vegetables on your property to increase self-sufficiency and reduce exposure to supply chain disruptions (for example, as recently experienced in Far North Queensland when supplies of fresh fruit and vegetables were cut-off over a prolonged period).

For farmers and outdoor workers: 

• Diversify crops and livestock where possible 
• Consider tapping into available government programs, for example the Australian Government’s Climate-Smart Agriculture Program.  
• Future-proof workforces, to ensure the skills required for ongoing climate change adaptation are reflected in personnel. Council provides toolkits and practical resources through our Futureproofing farming webpage.    
• Research demonstration sites in the shire and broader region (e.g. Gippsland), providing the opportunity to leverage available research and technology insights. For example, Bellevue Orchards in Officer are currently trialling the BioNova system for the conversion of waste apple pomace into soil conditioner. 

To understand the broader risks in Cardinia: 

• Consult our page ‘Preparing for future flooding in Cardinia’ to understand flooding risks, ways you can improve the adaptive capacity of your home and to prepare for emergencies. 
• Consult the Climate Risk Map of Australia, where you can filter by electorate, suburb and for different risk types (e.g. bushfire, surface water flooding, riverine flooding etc.). This will give you an indication of the likely risks now, in 2050 and 2100 which you should prepare for. 
• Know the location of your nearest neighbourhood safer place – bushfire of last resort. This is an identified building or space that offers a place of last resort during a bushfire for the local community. 
• Power failures are becoming more common in Cardinia as storm events increase. Always ensure you have a torch, fully charged mobile phone or battery back-up, food items that do not require refrigeration, medication, plenty of drinking water and other essential items accessible. 

 

Figure 1: Risk profile for the La Trobe electorate in 2050 assuming ‘necessary action’ is taken (Source: Climate Risk Map of Australia)

Stay connected

• Familiarise yourself with the Cardinia Shire Family, Health and Social Services Directory 
• If appropriate, subscribe to our Ageing Well mailout for information on maintaining physical and mental health, staying involved in the community and connected with others. 
• Subscribe to our regular Down to Earth newsletter, which typically provides climate-related articles, information about events and ongoing opportunities for engagement with Council staff. 
• If you live in the Hills area, or the Bunyip district, consider reaching out to either ‘Repower the Dandenongs’ or ‘Bunyip Renewables Action Group (BRAG)’. These are groups committed to supporting the local climate transition. We work closely with both of these groups to support a coordinated approach to community engagement on climate matters.