Teralba to Toronto Climate Resilience Planning

The plan identifies five themed outcomes for the T2T area and identifies actions already being done by Council and other agencies that build climate resilience.  It also identifies new actions that Council will undertake, or hope to undertake if funding becomes available, to further enhance climate resilience for the T2T area in the coming years.   

The plan is informed by data from existing flood studies and bush fire risk management plans.

Insurers use data from a variety of sources including historical flood measurements, Federal, State and Local government studies, the Insurance Council of Australia’s (ICA) National Flood Information Database and through their own research i.e. own assessment of risk. In essence, different companies will assess the risk in different ways and Council does not control what data insurers choose to use, or how they use it.

Over the past few years several factors have combined to raise the price of flood cover and insurance more generally. These include:

• the cost of claims generated by the series of major disasters (including storms, flooding and bushfire) since 2010
• Australian insurers paying more for reinsurance (insurance that insurers take out to cover major events) because of these disasters
• changes in understanding where and when floods will occur and how much it costs to fix damage.

The Insurance Council of Australia advised Council that people should shop around if they are dissatisfied with the cost or coverage of their flood insurance. Residents are also advised to look carefully at what they are covered for, rather than just basing their decision on the price. For further information on insurance, residents can visit Insurance Council of Australia.

Emergencies can arise at any time, so it is important to take simple steps to protect yourself, your family, pets and property during a natural disaster or local emergency.

1. Know your risk - Think about the area you live in and the types of disasters that could affect you.

2. Plan now for what you'll do - Sit down and talk with your family and plan for what you will do if a disaster affects your area.
    
3. Get your home ready - Prepare your home by doing general home maintenance and checking your insurance.

4. Be aware - Find out how to prepare and what to do if there is a disaster in your area. Download emergency services apps, for example Hazards Near Me, on your phone to stay informed.

5. Look out for each other - Share information with your family, friends, neighbours and those who may need assistance.

Find out more on our website

Climate resilience planning closley looks at the level of risk exposure to people, assets, infrastructure and the environment and identifies actions to adapt and/or reduce the impact of climate hazard impacts.

The Bureau of Meteorology, CSIRO and NSW Government agencies predict an increase in climate related risks over the coming decades, including rising lake levels, flooding and bush fires.

The impacts on our local community could be:

• Damage to public and private assets including our homes, community facilities, roads, drainage and other infrastructure
• Threats to valuable ecosystems including our unique plant and animal communities
• Pressures on food and water security and the cost of living.

Climate resilience is the capacity to prepare for, respond to, and recover from the impacts of climate hazard events and/or trends to try to minimise negative impacts on societal wellbeing, the economy and the environment.

Council is committed proactively identifying, planning and identifying actions to minimise the impacts of climate risks on our vulnerable communities.

Climate resilience planning involves Council and the community working together to better prepare for flooding, sea (and lake) level rise, bushfire, urban heat and other climate risks that can impact on community and environmental wellbeing.

Decisions we make now can have lasting impacts. New roads, drains and homes built today will still be around in 50 to 100 years, so we need to plan for the future now.

Submissions must be made in writing and received by 31 July 2025.  You can choose to:

• Provide written feedback via the online submission form on this website
• Email [email protected] with the subject heading 'Draft Teralba to Toronto Climate Resilience Plan’
• Write to Lake Macquarie City Council Attn: Environmental Strategy, Box 1906, Hunter Region Mail Centre, NSW, 2310.

Hard copies of the Plan are available to view at the Toronto and Speers Point library branches.

Your submission can be as concise or as long as you wish

Ideally, you will express your level of support for the proposal and provide detailed and specific feedback. The feedback will be reviewed by staff and later presented to Council to make an informed decision.

Should multiple submissions be received from a single resident regarding this project, the feedback will be reviewed by staff and counted as one submission when reporting back to Council.

Any submission received by Council will be publicly available on Council’s website. Submissions may also be accessed under the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009. Council may reproduce submissions in Council reports or in Court proceedings.

Feedback may result in changes being made to the draft plan prior to a report being prepared for Council.

You will be notified again, prior to Council considering the matter, which will include a link to the Council report containing a summary of submissions and how feedback was considered.