Douglas Shire has become the first Council in Queensland to complete the first two phases of a Coastal Hazard Adaptation Strategy (CHAS) under the State Government QCoast 2100 program.
Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) Chief Executive Officer Greg Hallam informed Council it had been successful in its application for funding for Stages 3-8 of a CHAS after receiving funding in late 2016 for the first two stages.
LGAQ is running the $12 million QCoast 2100 Program funded by the State Government to help local governments impacted by coastal hazards as a result of climate change to get on the front foot in adaptation planning.
Mayor Julia Leu said the $393,470 in funding for Stages 3-8 of the Douglas Shire’s CHAS demonstrated Council’s commitment to future-proofing their communities.
“I’m very proud that Douglas Shire Council received funding for all stages of our CHAS and appreciate the support of LGAQ and the State Government to help our communities prepare for the impacts of climate change,” Mayor Leu said.
“This strategy will help us identify and implement cost-effective mitigation measures and plan for appropriate development and growth in the Douglas Shire.”
Council has also recently teamed up with the Douglas Local Marine Advisory Committee to send Sustainability Officer Nicola Learmond to a coastal management short course run by Griffith University.
Ms Learmond said the three-day course held in Brisbane and the Gold Coast included coastal hazard management training on coastal dynamics, the impacts of coastal hazards on settlement, infrastructure and ecosystems.
“We learned about coastal hazards and climate change adaptation options and explored the potential impacts of future tropical cyclones and storms, coastal erosion, storm tide inundation and sea level rises caused by climate change,” Ms Learmond said.
