Inquiry into Climate Resilience

On 4 October 2023, the Legislative Council agreed to the following motion:

That this House requires the Environment and Planning Committee to inquire into, consider and report, by 30 June 2025, on 

(a) the main risks facing Victoria’s built environment and infrastructure from climate change and the impact these will have on the people of Victoria; 

(b) how the Victorian Government is preparing for and mitigating the impacts of climate change on our built environment and infrastructure; 

(c) the barriers facing Victoria in upgrading infrastructure to become more resilient to the impacts of climate change, including barriers in rebuilding or retrofitting infrastructure, including but not limited to, issues relating to insurance and barriers faced by local government; 

(d) the adequacy of the current Victorian planning system as it relates to its adaptation to, preparation for, and mitigation of climate change impacts; 

(e) what more could be done to better prepare Victoria’s built environment and infrastructure, and therefore the community, for future climate disaster events; and 

(f) whether further inquiries or investigation may be needed into other aspects of climate change adaptation and climate disaster preparedness in Victoria, noting that climate change will have far-reaching impacts on all aspects of Victorian life, including but not limited to biodiversity, human health, primary production, industry, emergency services and more, and that while these areas may overlap with the matters covered in this inquiry, they may also warrant further investigation in their own inquiries.