Joanna Gash (Gilmore, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to comment on the recent House of Representatives report Managing our coastal zone in a changing climate. I would like to start by congratulating both the committee and the chair for their hard work and recommendations. It is no secret that my electorate of Gilmore forms a large part of the New South Wales coastline with approximately 1,200 residences, land and areas for development that will be affected by rising sea levels and coastal erosion. This will be a huge cost financially and for future development and job creation opportunities.

I would also like to acknowledge and congratulate Shoalhaven City Council for the work that they have been doing in relation to this issue since 2004. Council have taken it upon themselves to consider new sea level benchmarks and assess coastal hazards for future planning purposes. Formal notice has been given to property owners who have been identified as at risk. This is no small task for a council which relies on ratepayers’ funds to take such action, particularly when around 60 per cent of the land mass affected is national park or crown land. This brings us to the all-important question of who will pay for any future action, planning changes and additional costs incurred as a result. Will council bear the brunt? Will individuals whose properties may be at risk pay? Or will other levels of government take responsibility for specific issues?

The committee has made some recommendations and I will list those that directly affect Gilmore. Recommendation 10 suggests that the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government undertake a study into the human and resourcing needs of local governments to effectively plan for and adapt to the impacts of climate change. Recommendation 19 requests that the Productivity Commission undertake an inquiry into the projected impacts of climate change and related insurance matters, with a particular focus on insurance costs for certain properties, affordability and the possible withdrawal of coverage for some areas. It is essential to find out where the gaps will be in our region and define who is responsible for them.

Recommendation 20 is to develop state specific policies by 2011 to assist with the planning responses, and recommendation 44 highlights the importance of an intergovernmental agreement with special focus on who does what. But it does not give us any indication of who will ultimately work this out and allocate the resources. It simply points to the need to do this, and I am concerned that if no ultimate responsibility is taken there will be no action taken. Finally, recommendation 46 is also significant for my constituents as it cites the needs for a national coastal advisory council to provide independent advice on coastal matters. As I mentioned in my opening remarks, Gilmore is predominantly coastal and will be affected not only by the expected sea level rises, storm surges and foundation erosion but also by any decisions that are made at any level of government to do with the handling of this issue. Local representations would be vital on such a committee.

As a first step, I urge the federal government to initiate more coastal based research, consider the consequences and delegate responsibilities to the state and local governments, who naturally should be involved in the process. The New South Wales Labor government’s contribution to this comprehensive community consultation in Gilmore has been a mere $25,000, which speaks volumes about their concern for and commitment to the issue.

In closing, I would like to reiterate my key concerns. Challenges lie ahead for coastal communities like the Illawarra and the Shoalhaven. Cooperation is needed from all levels of government to address the matter, with clear responsibilities allocated for proper management. Any advisory committee set up to assist government bodies should feature local representation. Lastly, more research is needed to establish the cost of the problem and the resources required to tackle it. While the coastal zone report is a great start, I am more interested in seeing what is done with the information from this point on and what role the federal government plays in delegating the costs and responsibilities to avoid cost-shifting in the future.