Regional Climate Change Risk Assessment & Adaptation Planning Initiative

The Regional Climate Change Risk Assessment and Adaptation Planning Initiative is a collaborative project between the 14 councils of the Hunter, Central and Lower North Coast of NSW. Its delivery is being co-ordinated by the Hunter & Central Coast Regional Environmental Strategy (HCCREMS) in partnership with member councils, Marsden Jacob Associates and Spatial Vision.

This regional initiative includes two sub projects:

1. Rural Councils Project

This will deliver climate change risk assessment and adaptation planning processes in 8 councils including Maitland, Cessnock, Dungog, Singleton, Muswellbrook, Upper Hunter, Dungog & Greater Taree.  The project will:

• Identify the risks arising from climate change for each council;
• Develop individual organisational adaptation strategies for each council;
• Identify areas of common risk across councils; and
• Identify priorities and actions for collaborative, cross border adaptation planning & implementation.

2. Coastal Councils Project

This will deliver a regional scale risk assessment and adaptation planning process across the region’s 7 coastal councils including Greater Taree, Great Lakes, Port Stephens, Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Wyong and Gosford. 

The project will:

• Synthesise the outcomes of individual corporate risk assessments previously completed by councils;
• Identify and prioritise areas of common risk across councils; and
• Identify and prioritise strategies for collaborative and consistent adaptation across councils

For more information please download the project fact sheet below

Fact Sheet

Funded with the assistance of the Australian Government Department of Climate Change.

This project has been assisted by the New South Wales Government through its Environmental Trust. 

Climate Change

Case Study 1
Analysis of Past Trends and Future Projections of Climate Change and their Impacts on the Hunter Valley Wine Industry

This case study presents an analysis of the potential impacts of climate change on the Hunter Valley Wine Industry. It has been completed as part of a regional research program to identify the regional and sub regional scale impacts of climate change in the Hunter, Central and Lower North Coast region of New South Wales. In addition to an overall analysis of historical and projected climate change for the region (Blackmore & Goodwin, 2008; Blackmore & Goodwin, 2009) generated by this research, 4 case studies (of which this is one) have been developed to more specifically analyse and understand the potential impacts of climate change in the region.  The focus of these case studies includes the Hunter Valley Wine Industry (HVWI), Human Health (Extreme Heat), Bushfires and Extreme Events in the Coastal Zone. 
The HVWI forms an important case study for the assessment of impacts of climate change due to the importance of the industry to the region.
The wine industry is of significant importance to the Hunter region, both in terms of its economic contribution as an industry and its role in the regions’ tourism profile. The HVWI comprises approximately 120 wineries and cellar doors, with the majority of these operating as boutique wineries producing 500 tonnes or less per annum.  In 2003-04, the Hunter produced an estimated $203 million in wine sales; $147 million in the domestic market and $37.8 million generated through exports (Macdonald 2005). Estimates of the economic contribution of winery related tourism are difficult given the lack of available data, however the region attracted an estimated 2.5 million visitors during 2007. The economic benefit from these visitors includes not only their winery related expenditure but also flow-on expenditure and job creation.

To download a copy of this report please click the links below.

Case Study 1 - Analysis of Past Trends and Future Projections of Climate Change and their Impacts on the Hunter Valley Wine Industry (1.58mb)

To view the presentations from the recent CPRS Forum click here

Results Out Now!

The outcomes of two years of research into the effects of climate change on the Hunter, Central and Lower North Coast Region are now available.

Commissioned by the councils of the region and completed by the University of Newcastle, the research has confirmed that the impacts of climate change will vary across the region. They provide the next order of detail and insight over previous projections of change, with the results now making it possible to more accurately assess and prepare for the potential risks posed by climate change. 

Previous information and profiles of climate change for the region did not provide information at a fine enough scale to pick up sub regional variability of this nature. As such, the aim of the research has been to identify how climate change may impact upon different parts of the region so that councils, business, government and the community can better assess and prepare for the likely impacts of climate change.

The research differs from other approaches in that projections of future climate change are based on changes in the regions’ “weather drivers”. In contrast, more common research approaches project changes primarily on the values of key climate variables such as rainfall and temperature produced by Global Climate Models.

The final research outcomes project future changes in climate at both seasonal and sub regional scales. Projections are provided for the period 2020-2040, 2040 -2060 and 2060-2080. Where minimal change between these periods is identified, projections are provided for the entire 2020-2080 period. Three sub regional climate zones (coastal, central and western) are identified for the region and an analysis of historic and projected climate change provided for each.

The following documents can now be downloaded:

Fact Sheet-Research Methodology and findings

High Resolution (404kb)

Report 3: Final Research Report - Climatic Change Impact for the Hunter, Lower North Coast and Central Coast Region of NSW.

Report 2. Report on Climate Variability of the Hunter, Lower North Coast and Central Coast Region of NSW

Report 1. Progress Report on Stage 1 of the Regional Climate Change Study