Latest news with #ClimateChangeAuthority
The National
2 days ago
- The National
Dubai approves Dh650 million Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary project
Dubai Municipality on Monday announced a project to develop the Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary, at a total cost of Dh650 million. To be completed over two phases, the first of which will be finished by the end of 2026 at a cost of Dh100 million, the project aims to boost biodiversity and establish the sanctuary as an eco-tourism destination. It is hoped the development will place Dubai among the world's top three tourism destinations, with designs for the sanctuary based on the needs of both residents and tourists. Sustainability in mind New mangroves will be planted to increase coverage by 60 per cent within the sanctuary. New irrigation channels will also be built while mangrove forests will be rehabilitated to create new habitats. The first phase of the project will see a 144 per cent increase of water bodies within the reserve, expanding their total area to 74 hectares and increasing carbon dioxide absorption by 60 per cent. An additional 10 hectares of mudflats will also be added. The second phase, to be implemented at a later stage, will focus on enhancing the main infrastructure and recreational services. This will support the hosting of various events and activities, while a visitor centre will also be built. It will involve the construction of 5.6km of cycling tracks, as well as 3km of walking trails throughout the sanctuary. The project is being co-ordinated by Dubai Municipality and the Dubai Environment and Climate Change Authority. A natural haven Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary is one of the largest and most significant nature reserves in Dubai, covering approximately 6.4 square kilometres. It was the first site in the UAE to be listed under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance in 2007 and is classified under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) guidelines. The sanctuary is counted among the most biodiversity-rich natural reserves in the region, hosting nearly 450 species of flora and fauna, including 47 hectares of mangroves. It welcomes around 20,000 migratory birds annually, including the iconic flamingo. 'With its unique design, the project marks a major milestone in the development and preservation of natural reserves, Marwan Ahmed bin Ghalita, director general of Dubai Municipality, said. 'It reflects Dubai Municipality's commitment to protecting biodiversity and natural habitats through innovative practices that support sustainable growth and ecological balance.'
Sky News AU
20-06-2025
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Media Watch Dog laments loss of comedy gold after Q+A axing, while Nine praises Niki Savva despite foreshadowing Albanese election defeat
It was 6.29 pm on 19 June that Matt Kean put out this post on X under the byline 'The Hon. Matt Kean @Matt_KeanMP'. Odd, don't you think? After all, the former NSW Liberal Party treasurer is no longer an MP – so how to explain his X username? Rather, his part-time job is chair of the Climate Change Authority, to which he was appointed by the Albanese Government in June 2024. And his full-time position is with Wollemi Capital, a specialist climate investor which advocates that 'the need to advance decarbonisation is most critical and the prospective returns are greatest'. The purpose of your man Kean's post was to draw attention to his article in The Canberra Times on 19 June titled 'National hazards are becoming unnatural risks. Climate is not static, nor should we be'. Now your man Kean has a degree in business – not in science or engineering. His article was that of an eco-catastrophist warning about cyclones, bushfires, floods, rising sea levels and so on. The Climate Change Authority/Wollemi Capital guy eventually got around to saying this: The Australian government can lead on a national adaptation agenda which coordinates and amplifies necessary efforts by all levels of government, businesses and communities. And there are real benefits to taking adaptation seriously. Every dollar invested in reducing climate risks pays for itself 10 times over in reduced recovery costs, according to the CSIRO. It makes sense – and always has – for Australia to adapt to changing weather. But what was missing from Mr Kean's article is a recognition that Australia produces just over one per cent of global emissions and cannot change the world's climate. CAN YOU BEAR IT? As avid Media Watch Dog readers will recall, when former BBC journalist Nick Bryant presented his inaugural ABC Radio National Saturday Extra program on Saturday 25 January 2025 he had this to say: We're committing to bringing you a diversity of voices, some of whom you'll agree with, some of whom you won't, but hopefully all of them will be insightful and make more sense of our world. And we will try to abide by one of the first rules in journalism, never be boring. I hope you'll enjoy the new Saturday Extra . Alas, it hasn't worked out this way. After a promising start, Saturday Extra has become a bit like RN's Late Night Live aka 'Late Night Left'. With occasional exceptions, the left-of-centre Nick Bryant interviews left-of-centre talent. In short, there is an evident lack of viewpoint diversity. Moreover, judging by listener feedback on text and so on – Saturday Extra's audience consists primarily of inner-city leftist luvvies who only want to hear individuals with whom they agree. On Saturday 14 June, this is how the ABC referred to the segment titled 'Trump's militarisation of America' which topped the program. A military parade in Washington this week will mark the 250th anniversary of the US army, and it will coincide with President Trump's 79th birthday. The fanfare follows a week of civil unrest, with President Trump deploying US Marines and the National Guard in Los Angeles, against the wishes of California's Governor Newsom. Are President Trump's moves to send the National Guard into Los Angeles an act of authoritarian overreach or a political winner? Guest: Professor Jason Stanley, Yale University, and author of Erasing History: How Fascists Rewrite the Past to Control the Future . Credits: Siobhan Moylan, Producer. Now, MWD believes that Professor Jason Stanley is entitled to be heard on Radio National – and elsewhere. But Comrade Stanley is on record as saying that the United States may become a 'fascist dictatorship'. This is an extremist view – especially for someone who is on record as saying that his grandparents fled Berlin with his father in 1939 – see The Guardian 26 March 2025. With a couple of exceptions, Comrade Bryant essentially fed Comrade Stanley with soft questions – as the transcript demonstrates: Nick Bryant: Now presidents can federalise State National Guard units although it does normally happen with the cooperation of the state governor. The last time it happened without that was 1965, when Lyndon Johnson federalised the National Guard in Alabama to protect civil rights protesters there – in Selma. Presidents can also deploy troops to quell civil unrest in extremis if they invoke the 1807 Insurrection Act . Donald Trump has not invoked that act yet – so has anything he's done so far breached the law or violated the Constitution? Jason Stanley: He has – so you're absolutely right. The facts you've laid out are exactly right. He has not invoked the Insurrection Act, so I'm not clear what legal authority he has to send Marines into Los Angeles. He is always threatening to invoke the Insurrection Act. If he does threaten – invoke the Insurrection Act. Then we have a kind of, Hitler, Nazi Enabling Act, kind of, moment – where – after the Reichstag fire, that's what we authoritarianism scholars have always been looking for that, you know, declared emergency that will allow sort of military power – the president to take military powers. Nick Bryant: Yeah…. What a load of absolute tosh – which Nick Bryant did not challenge. Can you believe that the learned professor saw fit to compare Donald J. Trump using federal power to send the National Guard to protect federal property and federal employees in Los Angeles with Adolf Hitler and the 1933 Reichstag Fire? This was followed by the Enabling Act which, in time, led to the murder of six million Jews. Apart from asking whether you believe this rant – the more relevant question is: Can You Bear It? [No. Not at all. And thanks for asking. I note that in his rant against (alleged) authoritarianism Comrade Stanley described President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln as 'great American presidents'. Stanley did not mention that in his 12 years in office, FDR issued some 3,721 executive orders – that is about 310 per year. Which makes President Trump's tendency to issue executive orders as, well, wimpish. Nor did the learned professor mention that over 100,000 Japanese Americans were interned in the United States following an executive order issued by President Roosevelt in February 1942. Their only 'crime' was that they were of Japanese heritage. Sounds somewhat authoritarian, don't you think? – MWD Editor.] At Hangover Time from Mondays to Fridays, Ellie's (male) co-owner invariably glances at Nine Newspapers' CBD section. Not that it focuses on anything of much importance in the Central Business District of Melbourne or Sydney of interest to, respectively, readers of The Age and Sydney Morning Herald . It's just that he just loves to find out just what is going on in high fee Sydney private schools – which seems something of an obsession with the Sydney end of CBD. This is invariably written by Kishor Napier-Raman (he of what Paul Keating used to call the Hyphenated-Name-Set). Moreover, Stephen Brook (at the Melbourne end of CBD) is a MWD fave from his days at The Australian. But MWD digresses – not for the first time. On Monday 16 June, CBD led with this: The events of May 3 hit Australia like an earthquake and the Coalition is still picking through the rubble of its election disaster for a glimmer of hope. But another earthquake is set to hit the political establishment later this year. We're talking about the publication of a tell-all book on the 2025 poll penned by formidable political commentator Niki Savva, rather appropriately titled Earthquake: Signposts to the election that shook Australia . CBD can reveal Savva has been beavering away on the book, which will be on shelves in late November – just in time to line the Christmas stockings of politicos, hacks, flacks and Insiders tragics across the country. Well, at least the title for Comrade Savva's latest tome is locked in. Unlike 2019 where the book's draft titled 'Highway to Hell: The Coup that Destroyed Malcolm Turnbull and Left the Liberals in Ruins' had to have a new cover. It was retitled Plots and Prayers: Malcolm Turnbull's Demise and Scott Morrison's Ascension . It was drafted, you see, on the assumption that the Coalition would lose the May 2019 election since it had dumped Liberal Party leader Malcolm Turnbull for Scott Morrison. Ms Savva is one of those Canberra media types who believes it is okay for the Liberal Party to govern for a while – provided it is led by someone like Malcolm Turnbull. But not anyone like Tony Abbott or Scott Morrison or Peter Dutton. This despite the fact that Turnbull lost 14 seats in the 2016 election – his first, and only, election as prime minister. From which the Liberal Party has never recovered. These days Comrade Savva writes an occasional column for The Age and Sydney Morning Herald . This is what CBD had to say about this: Savva's regular columns for this masthead have a touch of the seismic about them, sending aftershocks reverberating through the Canberra bubble. Her upcoming book on the election, published by Scribe, which combines those highly prescient columns with a series of new reported chapters, will doubtless be hotly anticipated…. 'I'm doing my best to try and explain why Labor did so well, how they came to do so well, and why the Liberal Party was taken to the brink of extinction,' she said, adding that it was a question many Liberals were also seeking answers to. Well, fancy that. Which leads Ellie's (male) co-owner to wonder whether Comrade Savva will acknowledge that 'why Labor did so well' might turn on the fact that Labor MPs did not take much notice of her 'prescient columns'. MWD has in mind Comrade Savva's oh-so-prescient column of 5 December 2024 where the following comment about Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was made: If Anthony Albanese wins the next election to govern either in majority or minority, he should, after a decent interval, retire so Labor can regenerate. Albanese succeeded brilliantly, certainly beyond his wildest imaginings and that of his friends, to become leader then prime minister. He should count his blessings, then gracefully relinquish the job. This is a benign view. The more drastic, which has been bubbling away inside the wider Labor family, is that he has lost his mojo, his judgment has deserted him and if he can't summon the discipline to shape up, he should ship out before the election to allow someone else to take on a rampant Peter Dutton. How prescient was this advice? On 4 December 2024 Comrade Savva was foreshadowing Prime Minister Albanese's political demise. However, on 3 May 2025 Anthony Albanese led the Labor Party to one of its greatest election victories. And Comrade Savva is presenting herself to CBD readers as a mastermind of the Canberra (Media) Bubble. Can You Bear It? While on the topic of the Sydney Morning Herald, this is how it reported the decision of the Liberal Party's federal executive meeting on 17 June. The executive revamped the membership of its inquiry into the party's NSW branch. It extended the committee's membership from 3 to 7 and dropped two members of the committee. On 18 June Alexandra Smith and Natassia Chrysanthos wrote a story about the meeting which commenced as follows: Federal Liberal Leader Sussan Ley and her NSW counterpart Mark Speakman have secured a major win in determining who will run the beleaguered state party, appointing a new committee headed by former premier Nick Greiner and ending the term of two octogenarian men from Victoria. That was the first paragraph. The 'two octogenarian men from Victoria' were not named until the sixth (Alan Stockdale) and ninth paragraphs (Richard Alston). So, it was in with the youth (Greiner) and out with the 'very old men' (Stockdale and Alston). The only problem here, which the comrades at the SMH failed to pick up, is the respective birth dates. Alston was born in 1941, Stockdale in 1945 and Greiner – wait for it – in 1947. And there is another point here. Do the SMH's editors believe it is clever to run a discourteous 'very old men' heading – in view of the fact that some 'very old men' – and 'very old women' – pay $4.80 each day to purchase a copy of the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper in print form? Can You Bear It? The SMH's 'Very old men ousted from NSW' headline over its story about 'two octogenarian men from Victoria' – May not appeal to readers of a certain age (as the saying goes) On 19 June CNN's Christiane Amanpour was interviewed by Sally Sara on RN Breakfast . Amanpour declared in her The Ex Files podcast on 4 June that she recently travelled to the US 'as if I was going to North Korea'. Ms Sara did not raise this with Ms Amanpour when they spoke on RN Breakfast. Let's go to the transcript: Sally Sara: It's been a deadly 12 months for journalists. Scores of journalists have been killed in Gaza. And we also saw that Iranian state television came under attack. How do you reflect on this time for your profession, and how do you see that attack in Iran?.... Christiane Amanpour: Well, that's correct. Generally, these are civilian targets, whether it's state or not. Many, you know, authoritarian regimes have increasingly tried to kill the messenger. The fact is that the Iranian media is dominated by the Iranian theocracy. It's only a 'messenger' for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. What's more, Amanpour made no reference to civilian victims of Iran's missile attacks on Israel. Can You Bear It? A BRAND NEW CAMPAIGN MWD CALLS FOR THE RETURN OF Q+A WHICH ALWAYS PROVIDED GREAT MATERIAL It is Media Watch Dog's melancholy duty to acknowledge that our various campaigns initiated by the canine Nancy and followed by the canine Jackie have been failures. Total failures. However, as G.K. Chesterton is alleged to have said, anything worth doing is worth doing badly. So MWD is initiating a new campaign this time fronted by canine Ellie. Ellie's (male) co-owner was devastated to read The Diary section in The Australian's 'Media' segment last Monday. Steve Jackson had this to say concerning ABC's decision to junk the Q+A program, effective immediately: Diary hears the show was scrapped because the new double-act running things in at Aunty, chair Kim Williams and managing director 'Hollywood' Hugh Marks, want to put the 'broad' back in broadcasting and ensure the ABC's content appeals to all Australians, not just the inner-city set. Finally! Somebody gets it! Gerard Henderson met former ABC managing director and editor-in-chief David Anderson only once. In 2019. Hendo wished Ando all the very best in reforming the taxpayer funded public broadcaster. But asked him not to do too much reform too soon – since the ABC provided lotsa copy for Media Watch Dog . For instance, how could MWD bang on about the ABC as a Conservative Free Zone if it employed some conservatives? Likewise, how could MWD condemn the ABC as lacking viewpoint diversity if it started to hear the views of other than inner-city leftist types? Hence this campaign – fronted by Ellie. Avid MWD readers are urged to 'Occupy Ultimo! (circa the ABC Headquarters) Restore Q+A !'. The aim of the demonstration is to ensure the return of Q+A – which over the years has provided lotsa material for MWD. What will MWD do without Q+A's left-of-centre presenters, panels stacked with leftists and the occasional appearance of Malcolm Turnbull in a leather jacket? Q+A always welcomed Liberals like Turnbull. That is, current and former Liberal Party members who are into criticising the current Liberal Party. The likes of the late Malcolm Fraser, Malcolm Turnbull and Matt Kean come immediately to mind. And then there were the stacked panels. As MWD reported ad nauseam – an easy way to be part of a Q+A audience at Ultimo was to discard your Che Guevara tee-shirt along with roman sandals in exchange for a shirt and sensible shoes. Then enter the ABC studio posing as a conservative and throw a shoe at panellist John Howard. Bad for the ABC – but great for MWD. So MWD says: 'Occupy Ultimo!. Give the Inner-City Left a (Second) Chance!' and so on. Avid readers are asked to assemble outside the ABC's Ultimo H.Q. at Gin & Tonic Time on the feast day of St Cyril of Alexandria. See you there. [Here's hoping this campaign works. I note that in a previous campaign you failed to get Amy Remeikis a pay increase when she was one of The Guardian Australia's wage slaves. I see that Comrade Remeikis has moved to the avowedly leftist The Australia Institute. It would be great for MWD is she continues as one of the panellists on ABC TV Insiders . – MWD Editor.] Ellie Waiting for Fellow MWD Readers to Join the 'Occupy Ultimo! Restore Q+A!' campaign on the (forthcoming) Feast Day of St Cyril of Alexandria circa Gin & Tonic Time. THE ABC/AUSTRALIA INSTITUTE ENTENTE As Media Watch Dog readers know, this blog has been monitoring the ABC/Guardian Axis and the ABC/Australia Institute Entente. That is, the ready access that journalists from the left-wing The Guardian Australia and political operatives from the avowedly leftist Australia Institute (which is based in the Canberra Bubble) get on the ABC. Meanwhile, political operatives from the conservative Institute of Public Affairs in Melbourne, Robert Menzies Institute in Melbourne and the Menzies Centre in Sydney have been de-platformed by the taxpayer funded public broadcaster. [Don't you mean censored? MWD Editor.] THE AUSTRALIA INSTITUTE'S DEPUTY DIRECTOR GETS A SOFT RUN ON ABC TV NEWS BREAKFAST Wasn't it great to see the entente between the taxpayer funded public broadcaster and the avowedly leftist The Australia Institute back in action on Thursday 19 June? It took the form of Ebony Bennett, The Australia Institute's deputy director doing the 'Newspapers' segment on ABC News Breakfast . First up, Comrade Bennett defended the Albanese government's decision to tax unrealised profits from superannuation funds. Let's go to the transcript: Ebony Bennett: And it [the Treasurer's talk] comes, of course, on the back of tax reforms that the Labor government is already trying to implement, including its plans to reduce the generosity of superannuation tax concessions for the very wealthy. For those with super balances over $3,000,000, earnings of $3,000,000. And of course, Australia Institute research shows that those reforms are proving quite popular, with almost twice as many Australians supporting those changes as opposed them. Clever, eh? The Australia Institute's deputy director got in a plug for The Australia Institute. And then Comrade Bennett had this to say about the Middle East, in response to a soft question: James Glenday: One of our top stories, Ebony, unsurprisingly, is of course, what's happening in the Middle East and what is happening in Washington as Donald Trump weighs whether or not he is going to get involved in that conflict and actually bomb Iran. It's a bit of an interesting one because he obviously ran as a president who was gonna get out of Middle East wars and there's a lot of people in his camp are horrified at this idea that he might wade in. Ebony Bennett: Yeah, that's right. So, Donald Trump has warned Iran that he wants an unconditional surrender. And a lot of news reports today and overnight about those tensions within his own administration between essentially MAGA Republicans – people who really support Donald Trump above the party or ideology, who really think it should be Donald Trump staying out of this conflict and not getting America into the middle of another war in the Middle East – who are in direct conflict with, I guess, the more traditional Republicans, the hawkish types who are really encouraging the president to get America engaged in this conflict that Israel began with a pre-emptive strike against Iran and to use some of its massive ordnance, its bunker busters deployed in Iran against its nuclear weapons program. So, who knows where this will end up. But it's a very perilous moment, obviously, for world security and prompting a lot of concerns about the safety of the civilians in Iran. Emma Rebellato: Ebony a question without notice before you go just quickly. We've been talking about how to beat the winter blues. I reckon wearing colour is one way of doing it. How do you do it in Canberra? What a load of absolute tosh. Before Israel attacked Iran on 12 June targeting Iran's nuclear program, the Iranian theocracy had sent hundreds of missiles into Israel aimed randomly at civilian targets. Newsbreak presenter Emma Rebellato did not challenge this assertion. But rather asked Comrade Bennett about whether she chose colourful clothing to cope with the Canberra winter. Really. A NORMAN SWAN MOMENT IN WHICH DOCTOR SWAN TALKS ABOUT PRACTISING MEDICINE IN THE GOOD OLD DAYS Avid Media Watch Dog readers have been asking this question of late – Where's Dr Swan these days? Good question – as the saying goes. Well, this is what the ABC says: Dr Norman Swan is a multi-award-winning producer and broadcaster who created Radio National's long-running Health Report and also co-hosts the popular podcast, What's That Rash? During the pandemic, he co-hosted Coronacast, a daily podcast which at its peak had millions of downloads each month. On ABC Television he is a reporter on 7.30 and a guest reporter on 4 Corners . And then there is more. As a glance at the back issues of Media Watch Dog will reveal, your man Swan made a number of false predictions about Covid during the pandemic of recent memory. Those were the days when, on the taxpayer funded public broadcaster, Swan was commonly referred to as 'Australia's most trusted doctor'. As avid readers will recall, MWD pointed out ad nauseam that he had not practised medicine for, er, decades. It so happened that Ellie's (male) co-owner turned on RN at around Hangover Time on Saturday 14 June – it was 9.06 am in fact – and happened to tune into RN's Health Report which the learned (medical) doctor co-presents with Preeya Alexander – and heard this exchange: Norman Swan: So, Preeya, you know, a long time since I've practised, there was no such thing as Telehealth in those ancient days. Preeya Alexander: Back in the day. Were there telephones? Just joking. This did not surprise MWD – which had been banging on about this since Moses was in short pants. During this time, MWD noticed that the description of your man Swan was undergoing changes. The cover of Swan's 2021 book What's Good for You referred to the author as 'Australia's most trusted doctor'. Likewise in his 2022 tome Live Younger Longer. However, by the publication of his 2024 work What's Good for your Kids , the description of the doctor in the ABC's house had been changed. He was now described as 'one of Australia's most trusted doctors'. And now Dr Norman Swan has told listeners of The Health Report (if listeners there are) that it is 'a long time' since he 'practised' medicine. Well, you learnt this first in MWD due to the (obsessive) reporting of Ellie's (male) co-owner. Verily, A Dr Swan Moment. THE ABC's DR NORMAN SWAN WHO TRANSITIONED FROM AUSTRALIA'S MOST TRUSTED DOCTOR TO ONE OF AUSTRALIA'S MOST TRUSTED DOCTORS – TOLD ABC RN LISTENERS THAT IT IS A LONG TIME SINCE HE'S PRACTISED Photo credit: ABC Online
SBS Australia
19-06-2025
- Business
- SBS Australia
The problem that could cost Australia more than $8 billion every year
Australia is experiencing climate-related extreme weather events, such as fires and floods, more frequently. Source: Getty / Roni Bintang From droughts to fires, cyclones, and floods, Australia has been hit with a series of devastating extreme weather events, and the financial burden is becoming increasingly heavy. According to a new Climate Change Authority (CCA) report, back-to-back disasters have cost the Australian economy $2.2 billion in the first half of 2025 alone. The cost is projected to rise to $8.7 billion annually by 2050 without strong action, the report stated. The Home safe: National leadership in adapting to a changing climate report examines the increasing frequency of extreme weather events and calls for national leadership on climate action. The Insurance Council of Australia estimates bushfires, cyclones, and floods are costing Australian homeowners around $4 billion each year, from a combination of both insured and uninsured losses, mental health impacts, and loss of housing and employment. Costs are rising as the climate changes and hazards become more frequent and severe, with regions and homes that were previously unaffected now becoming at risk, according to the Climate Change Authority. Climate Change Authority chair Matt Kean said: "Our homes are our sanctuaries — and the biggest financial investment most Australians will ever make." The report referenced recent research from the Insurance Council of Australia (ICA), the Treasury, and The McKell Institute into the costs of residential building damage resulting from extreme weather. The research found the cost to residential buildings is $2 billion a year for cyclones, $1.5 billion a year for floods and $486 million a year for bushfires. As these events become more frequent, the cost of insurance premiums has also increased. The CCA examined research from the Actuaries Institute and ICA, which found insurance claims for ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred and the North Queensland floods exceeded $1.2 billion. As cost of living pressures also increase, 15 per cent of Australian households experienced home insurance affordability stress in 2024, according to the research. Climate-related disasters can also have a lasting impact on property prices in affected areas, and the report projects climate change could wipe over $500 billion off the Australian property market by 2030. Property damage is not the only economic impact of climate change and extreme weather events. Alongside housing costs, Australians are also facing costly impacts to their physical health, mental health, displacement, and impacts on their ability to work and study, the report said. The CCA has called on the government to take steps to reduce the risks and costs associated with climate-related extreme weather events. The report's recommendations include making appropriate investments in infrastructure and services, ensuring standards, laws and regulations are fit-for-purpose for a changing climate, and equipping Australians with the information and resources to improve their decision-making. Research by the CSIRO, Australia's national science agency, found every dollar invested in climate adaptation or disaster risk reduction saves $2 to $11 in recovery costs. "Authorities will need to review and tighten building codes. Parts of coastal Queensland and WA not now covered by cyclone construction standards may need to be, and soon," Kean said. "These are the kinds of practical steps we can take to make Australia more resilient in a changing climate." A spokesperson from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water said work is underway across all levels of government and the private sector to improve the resilience of infrastructure, services, and the built environment. "The government released the National Climate Risk Assessment first pass in March 2024, and is now progressing to the full release of Australia's first National Climate Risk Assessment as a matter of priority, in addition to a corresponding National Adaptation Plan," the spokesperson said. "The National Adaptation Plan will represent a step change in the Australian government's response to climate change. It establishes, for the first time, a framework for adapting to the physical climate risks that are nationally significant." The National Climate Risk Assessment identified 56 nationally significant climate risks facing Australia, along with a subset of 11 priority risks that require further analysis. It is being used by the government to examine the impacts and risks to Australia from climate change. Current planning and investments in infrastructure and services include the Critical Infrastructure Resilience Strategy and Plan, the Disaster Ready Fund, and the Queensland Betterment Funds program.
The Advertiser
19-06-2025
- Climate
- The Advertiser
Natural hazards are becoming unnatural risks. Climate is not static, nor should we be
Cyclone Alfred stirred emergency crews into action earlier this year when the tropical tempest crossed the coast just north of Brisbane, placing more than four million people in southeast Queensland and northern NSW on alert. Four years earlier, Cyclone Seroja barreled across the Western Australian coastline near Kalbarri as a category 3 storm. What these two storms have in common is both spun much further south than usual. In fact, cyclones in those regions are so uncommon that construction codes don't require buildings there to withstand cyclonic-strength wind speeds. Governments introduced these codes in the decade after Cyclone Tracy battered Darwin on Christmas Day 1974. Its ferocity killed 66 people and destroyed 80 per cent of homes. The Climate Change Authority has examined cyclones and other wild weather for the threats they pose to households. The report, Home safe: National leadership in adapting to a changing climate, finds millions of Australians face escalating risks as the planet heats up. Bushfires, floods and cyclones already cost homeowners about $4 billion a year, a tally on track to more than double by 2050 unless we act to bolster resilience. And that figure doesn't count the very real cost to people's safety and well-being. Of course, First Nations people and those arriving post-1788 have known Australia is vulnerable to natural hazards. What we are facing now is the prospect of more intense weather events, more often and in new places that we will need to prepare for. Natural hazards are becoming unnatural risks. Just as the climate is not static, nor should we be. Areas previously considered relatively safe are now experiencing these risks. As many as 650,000 properties nationwide face high risks from one or more climate hazards, with insurance cover either unavailable or unaffordable. Another 1.55 million homeowners face moderate risks that are already hiking insurance bills - adding to cost-of-living pressures. Insurers are currently processing the latest round of claims after four big flood events this year. The insured losses for flooding associated with Cyclone Alfred and the north Queensland floods alone already exceed $1.5 billion, the Insurance Council of Australia says. By 2030, more than 3 million properties face exposure to some degree of riverine flooding, and by 2050 the average cost to exposed sites will be about $45,000, our report notes. Global sea levels have risen more than 22 centimetres since 1900 and when storms hit, they are becoming more severe. Local topography and geology give us strong clues about which parts of our coastline are most exposed to these rising risks. Authorities will need to review and tighten building codes. Parts of coastal Queensland and WA not now covered by cyclone construction standards may need to be, and soon. This is just one practical example of the steps we can take now to make Australia more resilient in a changing climate. The Australian government can lead on a national adaptation agenda which coordinates and amplifies necessary efforts by all levels of government, businesses and communities. And there are real benefits to taking adaptation seriously. Every dollar invested in reducing climate risks pays for itself 10 times over in reduced recovery costs, according to the CSIRO. The United Kingdom and New Zealand have legislated their climate advisory bodies to report regularly on the progress and effectiveness of their nations' adaptation plans. The Climate Change Authority stands ready to take on a similar role in Australia. Some may argue that a national housing crisis is not the right time to demand greater resilience in where, what and how we build because resilience comes with a price tag. But having houses out of action for extended periods of time certainly doesn't help with a national housing crisis. Homes are the biggest financial investment most Australians will ever make. They are meant to be our sanctuaries and places of belonging. Having to demolish and rebuild damaged homes, or shift entire communities out of harm's way, will be much more expensive in the long run - and put even more pressure on stretched workforces and supply chains - than making smarter planning and investment decisions now. Cyclone Alfred stirred emergency crews into action earlier this year when the tropical tempest crossed the coast just north of Brisbane, placing more than four million people in southeast Queensland and northern NSW on alert. Four years earlier, Cyclone Seroja barreled across the Western Australian coastline near Kalbarri as a category 3 storm. What these two storms have in common is both spun much further south than usual. In fact, cyclones in those regions are so uncommon that construction codes don't require buildings there to withstand cyclonic-strength wind speeds. Governments introduced these codes in the decade after Cyclone Tracy battered Darwin on Christmas Day 1974. Its ferocity killed 66 people and destroyed 80 per cent of homes. The Climate Change Authority has examined cyclones and other wild weather for the threats they pose to households. The report, Home safe: National leadership in adapting to a changing climate, finds millions of Australians face escalating risks as the planet heats up. Bushfires, floods and cyclones already cost homeowners about $4 billion a year, a tally on track to more than double by 2050 unless we act to bolster resilience. And that figure doesn't count the very real cost to people's safety and well-being. Of course, First Nations people and those arriving post-1788 have known Australia is vulnerable to natural hazards. What we are facing now is the prospect of more intense weather events, more often and in new places that we will need to prepare for. Natural hazards are becoming unnatural risks. Just as the climate is not static, nor should we be. Areas previously considered relatively safe are now experiencing these risks. As many as 650,000 properties nationwide face high risks from one or more climate hazards, with insurance cover either unavailable or unaffordable. Another 1.55 million homeowners face moderate risks that are already hiking insurance bills - adding to cost-of-living pressures. Insurers are currently processing the latest round of claims after four big flood events this year. The insured losses for flooding associated with Cyclone Alfred and the north Queensland floods alone already exceed $1.5 billion, the Insurance Council of Australia says. By 2030, more than 3 million properties face exposure to some degree of riverine flooding, and by 2050 the average cost to exposed sites will be about $45,000, our report notes. Global sea levels have risen more than 22 centimetres since 1900 and when storms hit, they are becoming more severe. Local topography and geology give us strong clues about which parts of our coastline are most exposed to these rising risks. Authorities will need to review and tighten building codes. Parts of coastal Queensland and WA not now covered by cyclone construction standards may need to be, and soon. This is just one practical example of the steps we can take now to make Australia more resilient in a changing climate. The Australian government can lead on a national adaptation agenda which coordinates and amplifies necessary efforts by all levels of government, businesses and communities. And there are real benefits to taking adaptation seriously. Every dollar invested in reducing climate risks pays for itself 10 times over in reduced recovery costs, according to the CSIRO. The United Kingdom and New Zealand have legislated their climate advisory bodies to report regularly on the progress and effectiveness of their nations' adaptation plans. The Climate Change Authority stands ready to take on a similar role in Australia. Some may argue that a national housing crisis is not the right time to demand greater resilience in where, what and how we build because resilience comes with a price tag. But having houses out of action for extended periods of time certainly doesn't help with a national housing crisis. Homes are the biggest financial investment most Australians will ever make. They are meant to be our sanctuaries and places of belonging. Having to demolish and rebuild damaged homes, or shift entire communities out of harm's way, will be much more expensive in the long run - and put even more pressure on stretched workforces and supply chains - than making smarter planning and investment decisions now. Cyclone Alfred stirred emergency crews into action earlier this year when the tropical tempest crossed the coast just north of Brisbane, placing more than four million people in southeast Queensland and northern NSW on alert. Four years earlier, Cyclone Seroja barreled across the Western Australian coastline near Kalbarri as a category 3 storm. What these two storms have in common is both spun much further south than usual. In fact, cyclones in those regions are so uncommon that construction codes don't require buildings there to withstand cyclonic-strength wind speeds. Governments introduced these codes in the decade after Cyclone Tracy battered Darwin on Christmas Day 1974. Its ferocity killed 66 people and destroyed 80 per cent of homes. The Climate Change Authority has examined cyclones and other wild weather for the threats they pose to households. The report, Home safe: National leadership in adapting to a changing climate, finds millions of Australians face escalating risks as the planet heats up. Bushfires, floods and cyclones already cost homeowners about $4 billion a year, a tally on track to more than double by 2050 unless we act to bolster resilience. And that figure doesn't count the very real cost to people's safety and well-being. Of course, First Nations people and those arriving post-1788 have known Australia is vulnerable to natural hazards. What we are facing now is the prospect of more intense weather events, more often and in new places that we will need to prepare for. Natural hazards are becoming unnatural risks. Just as the climate is not static, nor should we be. Areas previously considered relatively safe are now experiencing these risks. As many as 650,000 properties nationwide face high risks from one or more climate hazards, with insurance cover either unavailable or unaffordable. Another 1.55 million homeowners face moderate risks that are already hiking insurance bills - adding to cost-of-living pressures. Insurers are currently processing the latest round of claims after four big flood events this year. The insured losses for flooding associated with Cyclone Alfred and the north Queensland floods alone already exceed $1.5 billion, the Insurance Council of Australia says. By 2030, more than 3 million properties face exposure to some degree of riverine flooding, and by 2050 the average cost to exposed sites will be about $45,000, our report notes. Global sea levels have risen more than 22 centimetres since 1900 and when storms hit, they are becoming more severe. Local topography and geology give us strong clues about which parts of our coastline are most exposed to these rising risks. Authorities will need to review and tighten building codes. Parts of coastal Queensland and WA not now covered by cyclone construction standards may need to be, and soon. This is just one practical example of the steps we can take now to make Australia more resilient in a changing climate. The Australian government can lead on a national adaptation agenda which coordinates and amplifies necessary efforts by all levels of government, businesses and communities. And there are real benefits to taking adaptation seriously. Every dollar invested in reducing climate risks pays for itself 10 times over in reduced recovery costs, according to the CSIRO. The United Kingdom and New Zealand have legislated their climate advisory bodies to report regularly on the progress and effectiveness of their nations' adaptation plans. The Climate Change Authority stands ready to take on a similar role in Australia. Some may argue that a national housing crisis is not the right time to demand greater resilience in where, what and how we build because resilience comes with a price tag. But having houses out of action for extended periods of time certainly doesn't help with a national housing crisis. Homes are the biggest financial investment most Australians will ever make. They are meant to be our sanctuaries and places of belonging. Having to demolish and rebuild damaged homes, or shift entire communities out of harm's way, will be much more expensive in the long run - and put even more pressure on stretched workforces and supply chains - than making smarter planning and investment decisions now. Cyclone Alfred stirred emergency crews into action earlier this year when the tropical tempest crossed the coast just north of Brisbane, placing more than four million people in southeast Queensland and northern NSW on alert. Four years earlier, Cyclone Seroja barreled across the Western Australian coastline near Kalbarri as a category 3 storm. What these two storms have in common is both spun much further south than usual. In fact, cyclones in those regions are so uncommon that construction codes don't require buildings there to withstand cyclonic-strength wind speeds. Governments introduced these codes in the decade after Cyclone Tracy battered Darwin on Christmas Day 1974. Its ferocity killed 66 people and destroyed 80 per cent of homes. The Climate Change Authority has examined cyclones and other wild weather for the threats they pose to households. The report, Home safe: National leadership in adapting to a changing climate, finds millions of Australians face escalating risks as the planet heats up. Bushfires, floods and cyclones already cost homeowners about $4 billion a year, a tally on track to more than double by 2050 unless we act to bolster resilience. And that figure doesn't count the very real cost to people's safety and well-being. Of course, First Nations people and those arriving post-1788 have known Australia is vulnerable to natural hazards. What we are facing now is the prospect of more intense weather events, more often and in new places that we will need to prepare for. Natural hazards are becoming unnatural risks. Just as the climate is not static, nor should we be. Areas previously considered relatively safe are now experiencing these risks. As many as 650,000 properties nationwide face high risks from one or more climate hazards, with insurance cover either unavailable or unaffordable. Another 1.55 million homeowners face moderate risks that are already hiking insurance bills - adding to cost-of-living pressures. Insurers are currently processing the latest round of claims after four big flood events this year. The insured losses for flooding associated with Cyclone Alfred and the north Queensland floods alone already exceed $1.5 billion, the Insurance Council of Australia says. By 2030, more than 3 million properties face exposure to some degree of riverine flooding, and by 2050 the average cost to exposed sites will be about $45,000, our report notes. Global sea levels have risen more than 22 centimetres since 1900 and when storms hit, they are becoming more severe. Local topography and geology give us strong clues about which parts of our coastline are most exposed to these rising risks. Authorities will need to review and tighten building codes. Parts of coastal Queensland and WA not now covered by cyclone construction standards may need to be, and soon. This is just one practical example of the steps we can take now to make Australia more resilient in a changing climate. The Australian government can lead on a national adaptation agenda which coordinates and amplifies necessary efforts by all levels of government, businesses and communities. And there are real benefits to taking adaptation seriously. Every dollar invested in reducing climate risks pays for itself 10 times over in reduced recovery costs, according to the CSIRO. The United Kingdom and New Zealand have legislated their climate advisory bodies to report regularly on the progress and effectiveness of their nations' adaptation plans. The Climate Change Authority stands ready to take on a similar role in Australia. Some may argue that a national housing crisis is not the right time to demand greater resilience in where, what and how we build because resilience comes with a price tag. But having houses out of action for extended periods of time certainly doesn't help with a national housing crisis. Homes are the biggest financial investment most Australians will ever make. They are meant to be our sanctuaries and places of belonging. Having to demolish and rebuild damaged homes, or shift entire communities out of harm's way, will be much more expensive in the long run - and put even more pressure on stretched workforces and supply chains - than making smarter planning and investment decisions now.
The Advertiser
19-06-2025
- Climate
- The Advertiser
Build for cyclonic winds: call for tougher home construction standards
Building codes developed half a century ago to protect homes from cyclones should be extended "much further south" to reflect increasing extreme weather events, Climate Change Authority chair Matt Kean says. In a new report on how climate affects Australian homes, the authority recommended changing the national construction code - which sets minimum building standards - to ensure properties can better withstand wind, floods, bushfires, coastal inundation, and heatwaves. In the wake of Cyclone Alfred, which swept into south-east Queensland and northern NSW in March 2025, Mr Kean said it was time to rethink building standards. "Climate change is creating the conditions for extreme storms much further south than in the past, so it makes sense to look at extending cyclone building standards down the coast to reflect today's real risks," Mr Kean said. "Parts of coastal Queensland and [Western Australia] not now covered by cyclone construction standards may need to be, and soon." Existing codes only required buildings north of Bundaberg - some 350 kilometres beyond Brisbane - to be able to withstand cyclonic winds, the Home safe: national leadership in adapting to a changing climate report pointed out. Mr Kean said it was also time to rethink where homes were being built in the first place. "As flood hazards change, we need to adapt our thinking about where to build new homes and suburbs," he said. Insurance was "costing households too much" as premiums rose in line with growing risk. The record-breaking May floods across the NSW mid-north coast and Hunter regions claimed the lives of five people, inundated hundreds of homes and stranded tens of thousands of people. Extreme weather events had already cost the Australian economy $2.2 billion in the first half of 2025, the Climate Change Authority report, due to be released on June 19, found. By the end of the decade climate change was expected to wipe more than $500 billion off the property market. The report also found extreme weather events led to poorer physical and mental health, as well as substandard living conditions. Building codes developed half a century ago to protect homes from cyclones should be extended "much further south" to reflect increasing extreme weather events, Climate Change Authority chair Matt Kean says. In a new report on how climate affects Australian homes, the authority recommended changing the national construction code - which sets minimum building standards - to ensure properties can better withstand wind, floods, bushfires, coastal inundation, and heatwaves. In the wake of Cyclone Alfred, which swept into south-east Queensland and northern NSW in March 2025, Mr Kean said it was time to rethink building standards. "Climate change is creating the conditions for extreme storms much further south than in the past, so it makes sense to look at extending cyclone building standards down the coast to reflect today's real risks," Mr Kean said. "Parts of coastal Queensland and [Western Australia] not now covered by cyclone construction standards may need to be, and soon." Existing codes only required buildings north of Bundaberg - some 350 kilometres beyond Brisbane - to be able to withstand cyclonic winds, the Home safe: national leadership in adapting to a changing climate report pointed out. Mr Kean said it was also time to rethink where homes were being built in the first place. "As flood hazards change, we need to adapt our thinking about where to build new homes and suburbs," he said. Insurance was "costing households too much" as premiums rose in line with growing risk. The record-breaking May floods across the NSW mid-north coast and Hunter regions claimed the lives of five people, inundated hundreds of homes and stranded tens of thousands of people. Extreme weather events had already cost the Australian economy $2.2 billion in the first half of 2025, the Climate Change Authority report, due to be released on June 19, found. By the end of the decade climate change was expected to wipe more than $500 billion off the property market. The report also found extreme weather events led to poorer physical and mental health, as well as substandard living conditions. Building codes developed half a century ago to protect homes from cyclones should be extended "much further south" to reflect increasing extreme weather events, Climate Change Authority chair Matt Kean says. In a new report on how climate affects Australian homes, the authority recommended changing the national construction code - which sets minimum building standards - to ensure properties can better withstand wind, floods, bushfires, coastal inundation, and heatwaves. In the wake of Cyclone Alfred, which swept into south-east Queensland and northern NSW in March 2025, Mr Kean said it was time to rethink building standards. "Climate change is creating the conditions for extreme storms much further south than in the past, so it makes sense to look at extending cyclone building standards down the coast to reflect today's real risks," Mr Kean said. "Parts of coastal Queensland and [Western Australia] not now covered by cyclone construction standards may need to be, and soon." Existing codes only required buildings north of Bundaberg - some 350 kilometres beyond Brisbane - to be able to withstand cyclonic winds, the Home safe: national leadership in adapting to a changing climate report pointed out. Mr Kean said it was also time to rethink where homes were being built in the first place. "As flood hazards change, we need to adapt our thinking about where to build new homes and suburbs," he said. Insurance was "costing households too much" as premiums rose in line with growing risk. The record-breaking May floods across the NSW mid-north coast and Hunter regions claimed the lives of five people, inundated hundreds of homes and stranded tens of thousands of people. Extreme weather events had already cost the Australian economy $2.2 billion in the first half of 2025, the Climate Change Authority report, due to be released on June 19, found. By the end of the decade climate change was expected to wipe more than $500 billion off the property market. The report also found extreme weather events led to poorer physical and mental health, as well as substandard living conditions. Building codes developed half a century ago to protect homes from cyclones should be extended "much further south" to reflect increasing extreme weather events, Climate Change Authority chair Matt Kean says. In a new report on how climate affects Australian homes, the authority recommended changing the national construction code - which sets minimum building standards - to ensure properties can better withstand wind, floods, bushfires, coastal inundation, and heatwaves. In the wake of Cyclone Alfred, which swept into south-east Queensland and northern NSW in March 2025, Mr Kean said it was time to rethink building standards. "Climate change is creating the conditions for extreme storms much further south than in the past, so it makes sense to look at extending cyclone building standards down the coast to reflect today's real risks," Mr Kean said. "Parts of coastal Queensland and [Western Australia] not now covered by cyclone construction standards may need to be, and soon." Existing codes only required buildings north of Bundaberg - some 350 kilometres beyond Brisbane - to be able to withstand cyclonic winds, the Home safe: national leadership in adapting to a changing climate report pointed out. Mr Kean said it was also time to rethink where homes were being built in the first place. "As flood hazards change, we need to adapt our thinking about where to build new homes and suburbs," he said. Insurance was "costing households too much" as premiums rose in line with growing risk. The record-breaking May floods across the NSW mid-north coast and Hunter regions claimed the lives of five people, inundated hundreds of homes and stranded tens of thousands of people. Extreme weather events had already cost the Australian economy $2.2 billion in the first half of 2025, the Climate Change Authority report, due to be released on June 19, found. By the end of the decade climate change was expected to wipe more than $500 billion off the property market. The report also found extreme weather events led to poorer physical and mental health, as well as substandard living conditions.
