Byron Shire Council: Specifying parameters for planning

Rachel M. Gregg
Posted on: 2/12/2017 - Updated on: 3/02/2020

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Rachel Gregg

Project Summary

In 2009, Byron Shire Council in New South Wales, Australia first adopted a Climate Change Strategic Planning Policy with the goal of providing climate change parameters to inform decision-making. The policy provides ranges of values for increases in temperature, sea level, rainfall intensity, cyclone intensity, and storm surge that must be used as a minimum for planning purposes (Byron Shire Council 2009). The policy requires planners to consider a 50-100 year planning horizon for zoning, design, and development in areas that may be impacted by climate change, in addition to:

  • Modeling climate-related flooding scenarios to consider the sensitivity of areas to periods of increased rainfall intensity combined with sea level rise projections;
  • Incorporating buffers into land-use planning and development proposals to allow for landward migration of coastal habitats with sea level rise;
  • Identifying and protecting current and potential future wildlife corridors to conserve habitats and biodiversity; and
  • Reviewing existing planning and strategic documents and policies to incorporate climate change parameters.

The policy is to be reviewed annually or as new scientific information becomes available (e.g., Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation [CSIRO], or NSW Government Department recommendations).

Citation

Gregg, R.M. 2017. Byron Shire Council: Specifying parameters for planning. Summary of a project of the Byron Shire Council. Retrieved from CAKE: www.cakex.org/case-studies/byron-shire-council-specifying-parameters-pl… (Last updated February 2017)

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