Cash flows for climate change plans

BELLARINE coastal authorities will progress climate change adaptation strategies following state government funding support.

Two local projects earned a combined $90,000 from a $1.7 million statewide investment last month.

The Bellarine Bayside Foreshore Committee of Management received $50,000 to progress a climate change coastal adaptation plan.

The strategy will assess the vulnerability of public assets to climate change impacts and plan for how they should be adapted in response.

The Borough of Queenscliffe will also get $40,000 for a cliff stability and beach health study, which will include risk mapping to assist understanding of immediate hazards and future dangers.

Bellarine MP Alison Marchant said the projects were important to ensuring the long-term environmental health of the region.

“Victoria’s precious coastline is already being impacted by climate change and these grants will help us prepare for future challenges.”

Queenscliffe mayor Isabelle Tolhurst welcomed the investment.

“The $40,000 will enable the council to gain a deeper understanding of the current coastal risk hazards, and the interventions available to mitigate or reduce the impacts to our coastline and community,” she said.

The state funding package includes $1 million for a series of projects through the Victoria’s Resilient Coast program; $500,000 to Traditional Owners groups’ management of coastal environments through the Sea Country program; and $200,000 to support Coastal and Marine Management Plans.