Teralba to Toronto Climate Resilience Planning

Council is committed to keeping our community safe from climate risks.

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.

A recent example of a locally-led adaptation project is the Local Adaptation Plan (LAP) for Pelican, Blacksmiths, Swansea and surrounds. The plan was drafted in collaboration with the local community and was adopted by Council in 2021.

Prior to that project, planning was also conducted for Marks Point and Belmont South, in close collaboration with residents.

Both projects are now in implementation phase. Click here to learn more about related projects.

The western side of Lake Macquarie offers a great lifestyle and it’s important we all protect and care for our local community, environment and economy.

The Bureau of Meteorology, CSIRO and NSW Government agencies predict an increase in climate related risks over the coming decades:

• Rising sea and lake levels
• Changes in bushfire regime
• Urban heat island effects including an increase the number of days over 35°C
• More frequent and intense storm events.

The impacts on our local community could be:

• Damage 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.

Council will be undertaking climate resilience planning for the following suburbs:

Teralba, Booragul, Marmong Point, Woodrising, Bolton Point, Fennell Bay, Fassifern, Blackalls Park, Toronto.

Climate resilience planning for Teralba to Toronto will occur over the next 2 - 3 years though collaboration with the local community.

We've completed our first phase of broad community engagement. However, we are still accepting members for our ongoing

A second and third phase of community engagement will occur in 2024/25. In between engagement phases, there will be ongoing and frequent collaboration with the Teralba to Toronto Working Group. Council are still accepting new members to the Working Group - click here to learn more.

Working Group members volunteer with Council’s Environmental Systems Department and assist in preparing and delivering locally-led adaptation and climate resilience initiatives. Members can volunteer as an individual or as a nominated representative of a community group, business organisation etc.

Working group members can contribute in a variety of ways that suit them, and may include on one or more of the following activities:

1. Attending Working Group meetings where interested/available (potentially 1-2 hours duration every month or two)
2. Assisting Council and the broader community to identify climate related hazards, risks and positive actions and solutions
3. Reviewing climate resilience planning information and/or materials and providing comment, content and direction
4. Participating in community engagement events or activities to build climate resilience in the wider community
5. Helping to draft practical and accessible documents including plans, strategies or engagement material
6. Acting as a conduit between the Working Group and the wider community.

Express your interest to join the Working Group by emailing Amy McArthur (City Resilience Officer): [email protected](External link)