Guide to climate change risk assessment for NSW local government

The Office of Environment and Heritage has prepared this guide for local government to help in its assessment of potential risks from climate change.

The guide aims to strengthen the understanding of council staff about using a risk management process to prepare for the impacts of climate change.

It will help councils to:

  • undertake a qualitative climate change risk assessment for the first time, using a standard approach
  • refine previous risk assessments
  • generate information that can be used to develop strategies to adapt to changing climate and make decisions in conditions of risk and uncertainty.

The guide should also be useful in helping Sydney Metropolitan Area and Extended Regulated Area councils meet the requirements of the NSW Waste and Sustainability Improvement Payment Program to prepare a climate change risk assessment of their operations.

Climate change scenarios for NSW regions

To further assist local council assessment and planning for climate change, OEH has developed climate change scenarios for each of eight NSW regions to the year 2050.

Download the scenarios (ccscenarionsw.pdf; 559 KB)   

The format and structure of this publication may have been adapted for web delivery.

Page last updated: 15 December 2011