| Extreme heat events |
Impacts on infrastructure/asset performance in particular energy network assets |
- Stress on energy infrastructure (lines, substations) due to excessive heat
|
| Higher energy and water demand |
- Increase in household, industry and council expenses (e.g. cooling costs)
- Increase in industry costs (especially agriculture for irrigation)
- Increased social hardship from cost of living pressures from increases in energy, water and food prices
- Disruption to supply to businesses and residents due to load shedding and/or inadequate back-up facilities to provide for increased demand
|
| Impacts on community health and well being (especially the vulnerable) |
- Health impacts on elderly, babies and young children, immobile and remote communities (reduced access to cooling)
- Increased pressure on emergency management and recovery services (particularly for larger towns that may be relied upon)
- Pressure on public spaces used as a heat refuges
- Increased domestic violence and social isolation post events
- Pressure on health services
- Closure of schools and impact on working parents
- Disruption of telecommunication services in extreme events (e.g. Warrnambool loss of service for 4-5 days)
- Disruption to emergency response when dependency on sole telecommunications or other provider of services critical to emergency response
|
| Loss of economic productivity from existing activities (agricultural) |
- Changed nature of agricultural activity (e.g. shift from grazing to cropping)
- Potential loss of employment opportunities
- Damage to crops
- Decline in agricultural activity and productivity with fall in yields and animal impacts
- Decline in tourism from degradation of ecotourism assets and accommodation
- Decline in forestry
- Displacement of local businesses
- Reduction in economic growth
|
| Impacts on ecosystem functioning, vegetation and natural assets (including wetlands, lakes, estuaries, bushland, coastal habitats) |
- Habitat loss
- Reduced ecosystem services
- Favorable conditions and habitat for some pests
- Damage to vegetation including crops, bushland and timber plantations
- Increased risk of blue green algae
- Decrease in water yield and run-off due to increased evaporation
- Increased soil salinity and eutrophication
- Increase in acid sulphate soils
|
Increased bushfire risk |
- Fire damage to infrastructure and assets
- Fire impacts on water quality and water yield
- Impacts on biodiversity (fragmentation of habitats and destruction of refugia sites)
- Increase in acid sulphate soils
- Increased demand and stress on water assets e.g. dams for fire control
|
| Cost of building resilience in assets and community |
- Increase in council and agency/partner costs service provision and asset management
- Disruption to lagoon-based sewerage treatment plant operation
|
| Sea level rise |
Inundation of coastal land and properties |
- Inundation of coastal areas and reduced capacity of drainage network
- Inundation of roads and in particular the Great Ocean Road, affecting access and egress routes across the Region, with impacts also on emergency response
- Isolation of communities during floods and coastal inundation
- Loss of public land buffer along the coast
- Impacts on liabilities and apportionment
- Policy uncertainty (e.g. newly introduced beneficiaries payment approaches in Flood Commission recommendations)
- Impacts on tourism and loss of income especially caravan parks
- Impacts on coastal crown land reservation purposes (surf clubs, port facilities, yacht clubs, conservation areas)
- Increased potential pollution of waterways from septic tank contamination and health and ecosystem (e.g. fish kills) impacts
- Inundation of coastal aquifers – impact on water supply
- Erosion and exposure of coastal landfill (disused) causing pollution threat
|
| Inundation of private properties |
- Decrease in land values (e.g. land degradation) in inundated areas
- Loss of residential properties through coastal inundation and consequent rebuilding costs
- Increased associated maintenance and remediation costs
- Changes to infrastructure needs, including if there is retreat from an area the costs of redundant infrastructure and costs to service new areas
- Increased development pressure on remaining viable land
|
| Inundation of habitats |
- Loss of native flora and increase in invasive species and disease (loss of biodiversity)
- Increase in salinity
- Loss of mangrove habitat, salt marshes and reduced blue carbon capture
|
| Loss of coastal land through erosion |
- Loss of residential and commercial properties through coastal erosion
|
| Increased storminess, storm surge and wave run-up |
- Restricted access and egress to coastal areas (temporary and long term) including public assets (e.g. piers, lookouts)
- Community unrest due to restricted access to coastal public area/assets
- Impacts on tourism and loss of income especially caravan parks
|
| Extreme rainfall events |
Inundation of low lying developed areas |
- Isolation of businesses and communities during floods and coastal inundation
- Access and egress restricted due to inundation of transport routes
- Isolation of communities during floods
- Loss of residential and commercial properties through inundation and consequent rebuilding costs
|
Inundation of low lying natural areas |
- Increased fish kills in estuaries and rivers due to flood waters
|
| Inundation of infrastructure |
- Failure of (low lying) water and utility infrastructure due to flash flooding
- Increase in the costs of maintenance and repair of assets
- Negative hygiene impacts (e.g. blocked sewerage systems, contaminated water)
|
| Decreased annual rainfall |
Reductions in environmental water flows |
- Contamination of aquifer supplies
- Reduced rainfall captured (utility assets and water tanks)
- Impact on habitats and species
- Loss of wetlands and associated impacts
- Soil erosion and increased salinity
- Loss of native flora and increase in invasive species and disease (loss of biodiversity/wetlands)
- Impact on water quality (reduced flows, drainage capacities, overflows etc.)
- Impact to infrastructure integrity and performance
- Damage to road infrastructure – increase in linear cracking
- Increase in maintenance costs and upgrades (drainage requirements)
|
| Decrease in water yields |
- Increased water restrictions
- Increased cost of water
- Inability to water gardens, recreation areas, public spaces and playing fields
|
| Loss of economic productivity from existing activities |
- Decline in agricultural, forestry and local business productivity (Inc. tourism)
- Disruption to on ground works programs (e.g. councils, agencies as well as Corangamite and Glenelg Hopkins Catchment Management Authority works)
|
| Increased landslips |
- Increased infrastructure costs
- Increased maintenance and upgrade costs
|
| Increased bushfire risk |
- Fire damage to infrastructure and assets
- Fire impacts on water quality and water yield
- Impacts on biodiversity (fragmentation of habitats and destruction of refugia sites)
- Increase in acid sulphate soils
- Increased demand and stress on water assets e.g. dams for fire control
|
| Decrease in food security and potable water |
- Decline in agricultural, forestry and local business productivity (Inc. tourism)
|
