The ferocious storms which pounded the NSW and Southern Queensland coasts last weekend brought into focus the Climate Council's 2014 report Counting the Costs: Climate Change and Coastal Flooding.
The report predicts that more than $226 billion in commercial, industrial, road and rail, and residential assets around Australian coasts are potentially at risk by 2100 due to rising sea levels and climate change. The report also calculates that 52% of Australia's coastline is susceptible to recession due to climate change, rising sea levels and storm surges.
In two instances along the coast Council and landowners have worked to proactively protect their beachfront from the effects of climate change; protecting their beaches from the impact of last weekend’s storms.