The Victorian government is running an Inquiry into Climate Resilience, which will look into the preparedness of communities facing climate disasters across the state. This is an opportunity for you to share your experiences, stories, concerns and ideas for climate adaptation. Do you think Victoria is prepared for incoming climate impacts? What do you think the state needs to do to prepare?
Our submission guide below lines out the submission process and makes it easy for you to have your say to ensure VIC's climate adaptation is community led...
An Inquiry into Climate Resilience is now underway, with public submissions being accepted. The deadline for submissions, which was 1 May, has been extended to 28 June 2024.
Being undertaken by the Legislative Council Environment and Planning Committee, the Inquiry will consider the preparedness of communities facing climate disasters across the state. Public submissions are the first stage of the inquiry. The second stage will be hearings.
The Inquiry will focus on the effects of climate impacts on Victoria's 'built environment'.
The Committee will look into:
- the main risks facing Victoria's built environment and infrastructure from climate change,
- the impact these will have on the people of Victoria,
- how the Government is preparing for these impacts,
- the barriers in upgrading infrastructure to become more resilient, and
- the preparedness for future climate disasters.
You can have your say on the climate impacts you are most concerned about and the risks your community are facing that need to be considered in the adaptation process. You can also let the Government know how you want it to help your community prepare for climate impacts to protect people and country.
You don’t need to be an expert to put in a submission. The most important thing is to speak to your experience, your concerns and your assessment of what your community needs. You can submit in text, audio or video format, on behalf of an organisation or as an individual.
Use Our Submission Guide To Make It Easy
- provides more information on the Inquiry's built environment focus
- breaks down the process and has a template you can follow to make your submission, which can be written, audio, or a video
- has suggestions of what to consider and include
We also have an audio/video submission guide.
Climate Impacts Factsheets
These Climate Impact Fact Sheets have information on specific climate impacts' consequences and suggested adaptations to help you make a submission. These fact sheets cover the following climate impacts:
- Heat
- Bushfires
- Floods
- Changes in wildlife and ecosystems
- Sea level and coastal erosion
- Drought and crop failure
- Impacts on transport
- Impacts at work
- Health
- Living affordability
Choose an impact that concerns or affects you and your community to focus on in your submission. For further inspiration, find some adaptation initiative examples here.
Make Your Submission on the Vic Gov Website Here Before 28 June 2024
The Act on Climate collective's organising around the Climate Resilience Inquiry is focused on the opportunity to highlight the disaster preparation needs for communities most at risk and local community-led solutions. Communities can access our Resource Pack to more easily engage with the inquiry and ensure frontline voices are heard.
Get in touch if you need any more help preparing your submission! We will be holding submission writing events so stay tuned!
What's Next?
Following the submissions process, hearings will take place. It’s vital that the panel hears face-to-face stories from climate-impacted frontline communities and concerned and climate impacted community members. Let us know if you’re interested in appearing before the committee - we’ll help you get prepared!
Stay tuned for further updates from Friends of the Earth's Act on Climate collective as we campaign for community-led climate adaptation by signing up for campaign updates here.
If you haven't already, please add your name to the call for a Victorian Community Climate Adaptation Fund. We need community-led climate adaptation that is continuously and adequately funded. This funding will enable communities to fulfil their plans to build resilient communities in a changing climate and keep those most at risk safe.
If you're interested in being involved in this campaign in any way, please get in touch with either Aleesha Hanczakowski on [email protected] or Vicky Ellmore on [email protected]. There'll be plenty of opportunities for action and we'll need all hands on deck to make sure VIC's climate adaptation is adequate and community led!