Victorian Climate Resilient Councils (VCRC)
CVGA are partnering with the Western Alliance for Greenhouse Action (WAGA) on the establishment of the ‘Victorian Climate Resilient Councils’ (VCRC) program which will guide councils through a clear step-by-step process to manage climate change risks and implement actions to manage the impacts to operations, assets and local communities.
The program will build capacity across the sector to implement sustained and coordinated responses to climate change risks and provide flexibility to meet the needs and local contexts of individual councils.
What impacts the VCRC program will respond to?
Climate change is causing more frequent and severe climate hazards and impacts which are already affecting council assets and operations and local communities.
Climate impacts include, but aren’t limited to:
As the climate continues to change, these impacts will grow, and costs will rise, but councils can minimise impacts by adapting their operations to better manage these risks.
Program Stages
Stage 1 (Development) of the VCRC Program will be completed by the end of 2024 and has involved the development of a program model and resources to support councils to undertake climate change risk and vulnerability assessments and build internal capacity for climate change adaptation planning and decision making.
Stage 2 (Implementation) will commence in 2025, with WAGA successful in receiving funding from the Commonwealth Disaster Ready Fund for implementation of the VCRC Program. This three-year, $1.6 million program will involve the provision of direct staff support for councils across Victoria to engage with and implement the VCRC program steps, including a dedicated staff resource to work with and support rural and regional councils. This funding will also support the development of resources (including an online platform) bespoke to Victorian local government to aid their climate change adaptation journey.
The Program has identified and developed a number of useful resources in Stage 1, including:
You can keep up to date with the program, by signing up to the VCRC newsletter here or visiting the website.
The program will build capacity across the sector to implement sustained and coordinated responses to climate change risks and provide flexibility to meet the needs and local contexts of individual councils.
What impacts the VCRC program will respond to?
Climate change is causing more frequent and severe climate hazards and impacts which are already affecting council assets and operations and local communities.
Climate impacts include, but aren’t limited to:
- Impacts on residents from more frequent heat waves
- Disruption to council services from more frequent and severe storm, heat, flood or fire events
- Maintenance and future design of assets such as local parks, drains, buildings and roads facing increased temperatures, flash flooding, drought, sea level rise.
- Increasing bush and grass fire risks associated with urban fringe development
- Decline in natural environment due to drought, increased average temperatures and extreme events.
- Associated impacts such as bushfire smoke, power outages, food supply impacts, disruptions to local businesses, tourism and jobs.
As the climate continues to change, these impacts will grow, and costs will rise, but councils can minimise impacts by adapting their operations to better manage these risks.
Program Stages
Stage 1 (Development) of the VCRC Program will be completed by the end of 2024 and has involved the development of a program model and resources to support councils to undertake climate change risk and vulnerability assessments and build internal capacity for climate change adaptation planning and decision making.
Stage 2 (Implementation) will commence in 2025, with WAGA successful in receiving funding from the Commonwealth Disaster Ready Fund for implementation of the VCRC Program. This three-year, $1.6 million program will involve the provision of direct staff support for councils across Victoria to engage with and implement the VCRC program steps, including a dedicated staff resource to work with and support rural and regional councils. This funding will also support the development of resources (including an online platform) bespoke to Victorian local government to aid their climate change adaptation journey.
The Program has identified and developed a number of useful resources in Stage 1, including:
- Adaptive Capacity Checklist
- Review of available climate change risk assessment resources for Victorian councils
- Research into how to develop a climate change risk assessment and an online webinar explainer
- A communications tool for emergency management and climate change discussions across council
- Scenarios for emergency managers and Emergency Management Planning Committees to aid decision making.
You can keep up to date with the program, by signing up to the VCRC newsletter here or visiting the website.