We have written a submission into the Victorian Inquiry into Climate Resilience by the Victorian Legislative Council Environment and Planning Committee. Our submission includes 29 recommendations in 10 areas….

We appreciate this opportunity to put in a submission on Climate Resilience. Our submission focuses in particular on issues faced by residents of Merri-bek, and also Victorians generally. The following lists the main headings and all of our recommendations. 

Addressing urban heat, heatwave and heat health risks

Recommendations:

• Increase vegetation on public lands, car parks. Through planning process and controls minimum vegetation requirements for private land and urban development
• Statewide heatwave plan and mandate each council develop a heatwave plan
• State Guidelines for reducing urban heat from car parks, both public and private.
• The Victorian Government needs to respond adequately to Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry into Environmental Infrastructure for Growing Populations. (Report published 9 Feb 2022) . In particular it needs to urgently address guidelines for synthetic turf use in both sporting and education environments.
• Develop a synthetic turf in public places decision making tool based on triple bottom line factors incorporating the precautionary principle, based on best available science

Planning Department

Recommendations:

• A permanent Victorian Climate Change Adaptation Fund to support community-led efforts to adapt and prepare for extreme weather.
• Emergency response and climate resilience planning that is led by communities most affected and most at risk.

Updating Heat and vegetation Index data for Melbourne

Recommendation: 

• Urgently update the Planning Department Cooling and greening Melbourne map with a current dataset for urban heat, vegetation cover, heat vulnerability index

Residential dwelling standards

Recommendations:

• Focus on ensuring rental properties are heatwave-safe
• Strengthen appropriate legislation on enforcing compliance of rental standards for both cooling and heating.

Public and Active Transport

Recommendations:

• Increase cycling infrastructure, especially arterial routes of the Principal Bicycle Network and Strategic Cycling Corridors. More protected bike lanes to encourage greater take up of micro-mobility. 
• Assess main walking and cycling routes for heat exposure and existing shade to plan for adding canopy shade to improve thermal comfort
• Address Northern Transport Capacity issue through extending heavy rail network and provision of bus services

Increasing storm intensity and convective wind

Recommendations:

• Assess flash flooding and riverine flooding risk. Assess existing drainage and greenspaces for dealing with increased extreme rainfall in Melbourne and regional towns. Upgrade Water Sensitive Urban Design and green infrastructure to deal with more intense rainfall episodes.
• Program to assess High Voltage transmission grid and upgrade infrastructure to deal with more episodes of more intense storms and greater convective winds. This may entail moving some of the grid underground, replacing existing towers with a higher specification.

Sea Level Rise and Coastal Erosion

Recommendations: 

• Reassess coastal planning controls including guidelines to Councils. Include low probability, high impact range predictions as a worst case scenario

Rising Insurance Costs

Recommendations:

• State government advanced bushfire and flood risk preparations can reduce future Insurance premium increases, which is important for addressing inflation and cost of living.
• State Government needs to discuss risk reduction and mitigation measures with Local Insurers and Reinsurance companies

Food and Food Insecurity

Recommendations:

• State support for the Food and Material Relief Network in Victoria
• Fund Community Food Hubs in targeted communities 
• Support and promote the benefits of community urban agriculture
• Work with CALD communities to encourage food culture 
• Honour First Nations knowledge and culture in urban agriculture/edible landscapes
• Agricultural education to encourage farm agroecological farming techniques
• Address the accelerating use of UREA nitrogen fertiliser on Victorian farms by helping farmers to reassess farming techniques
• Encourage local food system networks, forums and farmers markets
• Upskill community organisations in addressing food insecurity, urban agriculture and distribution
• Support for local independent production, processing, logistics / distribution and food retail options which support employment and keep money circulating in local economies

Addressing Species and Eco-systems Resilience

Recommendation:

• The Government should urgently formulate a detailed response to the findings and recommendations of the Parliamentary Inquiry into ecosystem decline in Victoria to address the climate resilience of all endemic Victorian species, whether on the threatened list or not, and threatened eco-systems. 

Read our full submission below: