Environmental Sustainability Strategy - Warringah Council - NSW ...
Environmental Sustainability Strategy - Warringah Council - NSW ...
Environmental Sustainability Strategy - Warringah Council - NSW ...
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Natural Hazards<br />
<strong>Warringah</strong>’s landscape is environmentally sensitive and exposed to natural hazards<br />
such as storm surges, beach erosion, bush fires, landslip, heatwaves, hail storms and<br />
flooding. The landscape character may also constrain land use, for example the region<br />
has areas with high landslip potential, relatively unstable and highly erodible soils and<br />
coastal erosion hazards.<br />
Climate change and associated extreme weather events is anticipated to exacerbate<br />
current natural hazards. The coastline and flood-prone areas are particularly<br />
vulnerable to climate change risks as a result of increased storm activity and sea level<br />
rise, as well as increased erosion activity and cliff instability. Climate change may also<br />
increase the risk of bush fire to human settlements and natural areas due to changes<br />
in rainfall and temperature levels.<br />
Key Challenges<br />
• Accurately identifying, prioritising and managing risks to people and property in <strong>Warringah</strong><br />
• Improving the decision-making basis through collecting and consolidating reliable scientific data and<br />
evidence relating to climate change and natural hazards<br />
• Managing the potential exposure of existing infrastructure to current and future hazards<br />
• Reviewing and coordinating current hazard planning and management systems, standards and<br />
processes across all levels of government and their agencies<br />
• Managing impacts of ecological fire regimes<br />
• Establishing clear accountabilities across all levels of government in the preparation and<br />
communication of emergency management arrangements<br />
• Clarifying roles and responsibilities (public/private) regarding protection of private property in regards<br />
to natural hazards<br />
• Managing any impacts of hazard management on natural areas<br />
Our approach to managing natural hazards is integrated into <strong>Council</strong>’s Enterprise Risk<br />
Management Framework and Business Continuity program. Natural Hazards and their<br />
appropriate management are also considered and integrating within <strong>Council</strong>’s<br />
environmental management approach generally – for example in terms of balancing<br />
bushfire risks and management (eg. back-burning) with environmental conservation<br />
values.<br />
Our management approach falls into four key areas as described below:<br />
• Coastal erosion<br />
• Bush fires<br />
• Flooding<br />
• Geotechnical<br />
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