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No more homes on the beach for you, Australians are told
Ed Harris27 Oct 2009
Surf-loving Australians could be banned from building beachside homes and forced to abandon the coast.
The measure is part of a hard-hitting report by an Australian parliamentary climate change committee which says the country needs to adopt a national policy to combat rising sea levels.
Coastal property with a value of more than £80 billion is at risk from rising seas and more frequent storms.
MP and head of the committee Jennie George said: "The key message is the need for national leadership in managing Australia's coastal zone in the context of climate change. This is an issue of national significance."
Thousands of miles of coast around Australia are at risk from rising sea levels and extreme weather caused by climate change, the report warned.
An estimated 711,000 homes lie within two miles of the coast and less than 20 feet above sea level.
Some 80 per cent of the country's 21million people live on the coast.
Authorities are split on adopting a policy of retreat or defence against rising seas.
The report warned that Australia's current coastal management policy is fragmented and said authorities need to adopt a national policy to coordinate new coastal building codes and relocation and evacuation plans.
It warned that a simple sea level rise was less of a threat than more frequent storms and sea surges on top of higher sea levels.
It said: "The gradual rise of sea level will continue to be almost imperceptible. Elevated sea levels will lead to an increase in the potential impact of extreme sea level events caused by storm surges and heavy rainfall."
The country needs to examine insurance cover as well as improve early warning systems and work to prevent the spread of tropical diseases such as dengue fever.
Tropical Queensland is the state most at risk, with almost 250,000 buildings vulnerable.
Next was the most populous state New South Wales, where coastal flooding and erosion already costs about £110million a year.
Reader views (1)
So in effect if you buy low lying coastal property you are purchasing real estate with a 100 year non renewable lease. Or maybe less. If the boffins are only half right you might be left high and dry much sooner.
- Cyrjames, Berwick UK, 27/10/2009 18:25
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