Today's Word Radio

The objective of this research project was to investigate if and how current evidence on climate change impacts is being used by municipal governments in Australia for the purposes of coastal planning. To help explore this, a study was undertaken of South East Queensland (SEQ) as a case study. The choice of SEQ was driven by several reasons. Firstly, it has several coastal councils that are experiencing rapid development and high population growth (DILGP, 2017), meaning decisions are often being made with long-term consequences. Secondly, the region has high levels of current and future risk from coastal hazards, particularly given a potential rise in sea level (DECC, 2009). Thirdly, the region is home to a wealth of relevant scientific expertise (e.g. at the universities and Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) sites in the region). Fourthly, the State planning policy in Queensland was recently changed to give greater responsibility for coastal planning and management to local governments (DILGP, 2015).

To assess the potential use of climate science by coastal councils in SEQ, a search of publicly available documents and a series of semi-structured interviews were undertaken. All six coastal councils in SEQ (Brisbane, Gold Coast, Moreton Bay, Noosa, Redland and Sunshine Coast) were included in the research. In total, 25 participants from across the six councils were interviewed between September 2017 and July 2018. Interviewees were purposefully selected and were mostly senior staff members from planning, environmental management, engineering or similar departments.

Results suggest that use of climate science in council planning and decision-making was often implicit rather than explicit, and mediated through higher level policy, such as the State Planning Policy. However, climate science was also being used to inform more specific activities, particularly the development of coastal hazard adaptation strategies.

In making use of climate change information, councils identified several barriers. These include the political nature of the topic, a perceived lack of clear and consistent state-level guidance and the nature and scale of the scientific information. When identifying how scientists could make their work more useful to them, councils generally asked for more specific information (spatial and temporal) that was clearly communicated and translated for non-specialists. This was desired within an ongoing relationship where scientists and council staff work together to identify the research questions and interpret results. In short, the results suggest that councils in SEQ are looking for a transition from the ‘science of climate change’ to the ‘science of coastal planning’.

According to the text, what is a reason for selecting South East Queensland as a case study for the research?

A. SEQ has a stable population growth and minimal development.

B. SEQ has limited scientific expertise on climate change.

C. The state planning policy in Queensland recently increased local government responsibility for coastal planning.

D. SEQ is not at risk from coastal hazards or sea level rise.

E. Only two coastal councils in SEQ were included in the research.

Based on the text, what did councils identify as a barrier to using climate change information?

A. The abundance of clear and consistent state-level guidance.

B. The purely technical and non-political nature of the topic.

C. The large-scale and non-specific nature of scientific information.

D. The lack of interest among council staff in using scientific data.

E. The simplicity of translating scientific information for non-specialists.

According to the text, what kind of information are councils in SEQ seeking from scientists?

A. General and broad-scale information about global climate trends.

B. High-level policy recommendations only.

C. Information that is specifically spatial and temporal, clearly communicated and translated for non-specialists.

D. Information that can only be understood by specialists in climate science.

E. Information that is independent of any ongoing relationships with council staff.

What transition are the councils in SEQ looking for in the field of climate change science?

A. From the 'science of coastal planning' to the 'science of climate change'.

B. From the 'science of climate change' to the 'science of coastal planning'.

C. From local government responsibility to federal government responsibility.

D. From scientific research to purely political decision-making.

E. From specific spatial information to general global data.

In the study, how many participants were interviewed, and from how many councils?

A. 6 participants from 6 councils.

B. 25 participants from all 6 coastal councils in SEQ.

C. 17 participants from 4 councils.

D. 25 participants from 4 coastal councils in SEQ.

E. 30 participants from all 6 coastal councils in SEQ.

What was the primary method used to assess the potential use of climate science by coastal councils in SEQ?

A. A survey sent to all residents in South East Queensland.

B. A series of town hall meetings with local residents.

C. A search of publicly available documents and a series of semi-structured interviews with council staff.

D. Analysis of satellite imagery of the SEQ coastline.

E. Direct observation of council planning meetings over a period of five years.

Based on the text, which departments were the majority of the interviewees from?

A. Finance, Human Resources, and IT.

B. Marketing, Public Relations, and Legal.

C. Planning, environmental management, engineering, or similar departments.

D. Tourism, Education, and Healthcare.

E. Law Enforcement, Emergency Services, and Transportation.

How is climate science often used in council planning and decision-making, according to the text?

A. It is always used explicitly in all decisions.

B. It is only used for developing coastal hazard adaptation strategies.

C. It is often implicit and mediated through higher-level policy.

D. It is never used because of political barriers.

E. It is only used when mandated by the federal government.

According to the text, why is the region of South East Queensland particularly vulnerable?

A. Due to its high elevation and inland location.

B. Because it has a decreasing population and low development.

C. Because of high levels of current and future risk from coastal hazards and potential sea level rise.

D. Because it has no access to scientific expertise.

E. Because the state government manages all coastal planning.

What kind of relationship do councils desire with scientists to make research more useful?

A. A strictly formal relationship with no direct communication.

B. An ongoing relationship where they work together to identify research questions and interpret results.

C. A one-time consultation at the start of a project.

D. A relationship where scientists provide results without any interpretation.

E. No relationship is desired, as councils prefer to work independently.