Abstract | Land Use Zoning Response to Climate Change

Development assessments consider climate change but strategic town planning is less transparent regarding climate change impacts. Land use strategy updates generally lead incrementally to upzoning, where land moves from low to more intensive, valuable uses. This must be replaced.

Australia’s long-term population growth drives political, financial and market thinking about land use. Assumptions need a rethink, coloured by anticipated climate change impacts. Future natural events will generally intensify – more frequent /intense rain, wind, waves, storm surge, but worse bushfires or drought elsewhere.

Increasingly and worldwide, volunteer organisations such as SES, SLSC, RFS struggle to find members. Their insurers demand less risk-taking. Nature will increasingly have its way during disruptive events. Minimise the risks by selectively changing land use intensity.

A legacy of poor decisions? There used to be less information, little human-caused climate change but more optimism about being rescued, plus government hand-outs for recovery. Today we have better quality information, modelling of future conditions and confidence for decision-making about risks to highly-impacted properties. Some are unsafe; others’ assumed development potential needs to be reversed.

In PR terms, how might this necessary shift in thinking be achieved?

Long-term market signalling is the least painful way for landowners adjusting to climate change. Message spruikers include politicians, bankers, insurers, journalists, community leaders, property professionals, plus scientists, town planners.

Technically, equivalent to an “urban investigation” zone where years of studies determine areas to be upzoned, add a new “non-urban investigation” zone where modelling determines selective downzoning over time.

Taking a business and political approach, such market signalling enables orderly transitioning from current expectations to climate-change-related land use. The market will adjust to lowered land use potential. Importantly, if land remains in private ownership, no compensation is payable in NSW.

Strategic land use planning will respond appropriately and transparently to climate change.

Bio | Dr Helen Monks MEIANZ CEnvP

Dr. Helen Monks owns and operates Highlight Consulting: town planning, regional development, project management for Council and government approvals. Helen has worked for over 25 years with private, non-profit and government clients. The projects have included subdivisions, changes of use and establishment of existing use rights, advocacy, rural residential and medium density developments, environmental plans, development studies and impact statements, feasibility studies, market surveys, submissions to government, analyses, demographic research, economic development and occasional University lecturing.

Her innovative approaches to management also led to part-time external study for a Doctor of Philosophy which researched the management of regional development organisations (awarded the biennial Australasian Postgraduate Thesis Award by ANZRSAI in 1998). She was an EIANZ Board member (casual vacancy) during 2015 and became a Certified Environmental Practitioner in 2009.