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Spatial Vision, in partnership with Marsden Jacobs Associates (MJA) have been commissioned by the Hunter and Central Coast Regional Environmental Strategy (a program of the Environment Division of Hunter Councils) to undertake a climate change risk assessment and adaptation planning program.  The project is titled “Regional Approach to Climate Change Risk Assessment and Adaptation Planning by Councils.  The study area incorporates 14 local councils that make up the “Hunter Councils”, these include: Cessnock City Council, Maitland City Council, Singleton Shire Council, Muswellbrook Shire Council, Upper Hunter Shire Council, Gloucester Shire Council, Dungog Shire Council, Greater Taree City Council, Greater Taree City Council, Great Lakes Council, Port Stephens Council, Newcastle City Council, Lake Macquarie City Council, Wyong Shire Council and Gosford City Council.

The project incorporates two sub projects that include:

Rural Councils Project - Funded by the Commonwealth Government’s Local Adaptation Pathways Program, this project component will undertake a climate change risk assessment and adaptation planning process with eight councils. In addition to identifying individual organisational risks arising from climate change and developing adaptation strategies in response to these, this component will also identify areas of common risk across these councils and determine actions and priorities for collaborative, cross border adaptation planning and implementation.

Coastal Councils Project - Funded through the NSW Environmental Trust, this project component will implement a risk assessment and adaptation planning project incorporating the seven HCCREMS coastal councils. This component will aim to identify and document areas of common risk across coastal councils and to identify the nature and focus of actions and priorities for collaborative and consistent cross border adaptation responses.

The risk assessment process to be implemented for both projects will be consistent with that outlined in the 2006 Commonwealth Government publication `Climate Change Impacts & Risk Management: A Guide for Business and Government’.
This guide was previously developed by MJA’s Dr Peter Kinrade for the Commonwealth Government.

The risk assessment will develop criteria for assessment across 5 key climate change event types – Average and Extreme Temperature change, Average Rainfall and Water Availability change, Sea Level Rise and Storm Surge, Extreme Rainfall and Flooding and change in Fire Weather.  Change in these climate event types will be assessed with respect to there potential impact on People, Natural Systems and Infrastructure.

Spatial Vision’s role in this project is to provide input to the development and implementation of spatial information products to support the risk assessment process.  In undertaking this task, Spatial Vision will use its’ SpatialLogic (Define Collate Integrate Assess Visualise) approach to the development of spatial information support products.

For further information about this project, please contact: Peter Kinrade at Marsden Jacobs Associates, email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Further information about Spatial Vision’s approach, contact Milos Pelikan,
email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it