Toowoomba Regional Council considers grant for new climate change strategy

Councillors will vote this week on whether to apply for a special grant to help fund a new risk management strategy for climate change.

The Toowoomba Regional Council will consider a new pilot program to develop a climate risk strategy.

The Toowoomba Regional Council will consider a plan to create a new risk management strategy to combat the future impacts of climate change.

A proposal from the council’s planning and development group, which will front the councillors at a committee meeting on Tuesday morning, plans to apply for a new grant by the Queensland Climate Resilient Councils program.

The pilot program would allow the council to develop a “climate risk management strategy”, helping it to understand the short and long-term climate risks and creating high-level solutions.

“Councillors, the council as an organisation, key stakeholders and the broader community will have a strategic awareness of climate change, an understanding of the climate risks faced and their implications for the local government area and broader region,” the report by senior infrastructure project officer Peter Berkeley said.

“The council will understand climate risk implications to its reputation, obligations, and operations.

“(An expected outcome would include) the council commits to undertaking a full climate risk management process in consultation with key stakeholders using the framework.

“The local government area (will have) an agreed strategy outlining an overarching strategic direction, targets and actions required to develop and implement co-ordinated, timely and effective on-ground actions.”

While a successful grant application would be worth $120,000, the report recommended the council allocate an extra $30,000 to cover the costs of completing the strategy.

The meeting will be held at 9am.