MEDIA RELEASE
Friends of the Earth
Monday 16 November, 2009
Friends of the Earth has welcomed the release today of new CSIRO reports on sea level rise in Victoria, but say the data means government and planning guidelines on sea-level rise need revision.
"The new CSIRO data released by the state government today reinforces the devastating impacts of rising sea levels on our communities," Friends of the Earth’s national climate campaigner Damien Lawson said.
"They also highlight the need for a revision of 0.8 m estimate in the Victorian planning guidelines.
"Two scenarios used in the CSIRO report are above 1.1 metres and a Commonwealth report released on Saturday uses 1.1 metres as a likely middle range estimate.â€
The CSIRO report states that if sea level rises to 1.1 m then low lying areas in Victoria that are currently vulnerable to a 1-100 event will be flooded on a daily basis.
"It is now clear that basing our planning and adaptation guidelines on a best case scenario is a dangerous thing to do,†Mr Lawson said.
“We should be making planning decisions on worse case scenarios and that means revising the sea-level rise guidelines for planning in Victoria.â€
Friends of the Earth will be sponsoring a 100 km walk along the eastern part of the Port Philip Bay beginning on Saturday to highlight the threat of sea level rise.
"This Saturday in Sorrento we will begin our Port Phillip Rising walk along the east coast of Port Phillip Bay. We will hold events and discussions with local communities that will experience sea level rise," Mr Lawson said.
For more information: Damien Lawson 0419 253 342
Port Phillip Rising: www.portphilliprising.org
Climate Change risks to Australia's Coast: http://www.climatechange.gov.au/en/publications/coastline/climate-change...