CLIMATE CHANGE

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO (14:55): My question is to the Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation. Will the minister advise how South Australian communities and regions are adapting to the potential impacts of climate change?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation) (14:55): I thank the honourable member for her most important question. Sir, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released its Fifth Assessment Report—which you would be only too aware of—of its working group on the science of climate change on 27 September 2013.

The release of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's Fifth Assessment Report shows that warming of the climate system is unequivocal and that human influence on the climate system is clear. The release of this report should, once and for all, end the debate on whether climate change is occurring and instead focus our attention on action. Key findings of the report are: each of the last three decades has been successively warmer at the earth's surface than any preceding decade since 1850; heatwaves are very likely to occur more frequently and last longer; and the global mean sea level will continue to rise and at a faster rate than experienced over the last 40 years. The strength of the conclusions of the Fifth Assessment Report highlights the risks that climate change brings for South Australia.

With a shifting national policy environment, South Australia is getting on with the job and leading by example. In August 2012, our government launched 'Prospering in a changing climate: a climate change adaptation framework for South Australia'. This framework is being driven in partnership with South Australian communities, including local government. This regional approach empowers local leaders to manage the real risk of climate change and has recently received the 2013 Resilient Australia Award.

The Resilient Australia Awards are a federal government initiative, sponsored by the commonwealth Attorney-General's Department, in conjunction with states and territories. Under this award-winning framework, adaptation plans for regions are being developed and crucial vulnerability assessments are being undertaken. Such a plan for the Yorke and Mid North region was released earlier this month during the Greenhouse 2013 conference here in Adelaide. This region has shown great leadership to be at the forefront of preparing for the impacts of climate change.

The Yorke and Mid North Regional Climate Change Action Plan outlines the strategies and steps by which this important agricultural and economic region of South Australia is adapting to the threats posed by climate change. Central to the development of this plan has been a former member of this place, the Hon. Caroline Schaefer, who is, of course, the presiding member of the Mid North and Yorke natural resources management board; mayor James Maitland, of the Wakefield Regional Council; and Ms Kay Mathias, Chair of the Yorke and Mid North Regional Development Australia Board. I would like to congratulate them, and everyone else involved in its preparation, for the leadership they have demonstrated on behalf of their communities and their willingness to take that leadership to the climate change area.

Their work and this plan began back in September 2011 when the Yorke and Mid North regions signed a sector agreement with the government of South Australia. Members will be aware that sector agreements are the key mechanism under the Climate Change and Greenhouse Emissions Act 2007 for establishing formal arrangements between government and specific industry sectors or regions across the state. Sector agreements include: actions to reduce emissions, adapt to climate change, develop appropriate technologies, reduce energy use, and increase the use of renewable energy. They have proved to be immensely successful and popular and, in fact, earlier this month another sector agreement was signed in the Western Region Climate Change Alliance.

The Western Region Climate Change Alliance is a partnership between the City of Charles Sturt, the City of West Torrens and the City of Port Adelaide Enfield. This alliance entered into an agreement with the key outcome being the development of the Regional Climate Change Adaptation Plan, and this will include undertaking an integrated vulnerability assessment of the area and mapping out strategies for the region in tackling climate change over the next five years, in addition to longer term aspirations of the community. This agreement will assist the Western Adelaide Region community, which has a combined population of about 315,000 people, to adapt to the impacts of climate change, such as heatwaves or flood risk, and to prepare for the costs associated with infrastructure capacity building.

In addition, just last week I signed our second sector agreement with representatives from the Local Government Association. This builds on the successes of a first agreement from June 2008. That agreement set out a number of strategies to begin our cooperation on matters of climate change. This included progressing more efficient public lighting, including street lighting, improving energy efficiency, collaboration on green power procurement and climate change adaptation, and risk assessments. This new sector agreement shows a commitment to continue the very valuable support provided by the LGA.

This new agreement has several key areas of focus. One area is to progress regional adaptation planning right across the state; a further is supporting the development of building an upgrade finance scheme in South Australia. This mechanism is a loan scheme designed to help property owners to overcome a number of market barriers to invest in improving the energy and water efficiency of existing commercial buildings. This is a practical action which will support energy efficiency through the adoption of low carbon technologies, and I look forward to working with the LGA to progress this in our state.

Finally, the LGA has expressed an interest in assisting and understanding the nature and complexities of achieving effective integrated coastal zone management in South Australia so that decisions are made in a coastal zone that do not place communities and assets at risk of coastal hazard. This will prove particularly useful for the western region, where there is a well-documented history of flood events due to the geographical location and the nature of physical development over many, many years.

The impact of seawater inundation is a significant future risk for the western region, and it requires appropriate assessment and management; so it is pleasing to hear that the LGA is helping to address this, in conjunction with the state government. These sector agreements provide a foundation for a transition in our economy and the community to one that is able to mitigate the effects of climate change, and they do this by ensuring that we work as collaboratively as possible.

Climate change is a global phenomenon, but we must remember that the effects of climate change most certainly will be felt at local and regional levels. What might apply in the north of Queensland as a mitigation strategy certainly will not apply for Yorke Peninsula. That is why it is important to develop such local and regional responses—responses that understand the area, responses that use the best available science, and responses that bring communities together. This is exactly what these regional plans and sector agreements have sought to do.

This state Labor government aims to develop and implement more regional sector agreements across all state government regions of South Australia. I congratulate all those involved in sector agreements and adaptation plans, and I encourage all members of this place to engage with their communities in the implementation of further plans and agreements.