A National Adaptation Policy Office is to be established as part of the new National Climate Resilience and Adaptation Strategy released last month.
The strategy is intended to help communities prepare for climate changes “that cannot be avoided, even with global efforts to reduce emissions”, and was announced on the eve of the COP26 climate conference last month.
The National Adaptation Policy Office will be within the federal Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (DAWE) and will coordinate adaptation advice across industry and governments on matters including house and commercial building design, urban tree plantings, and environmental restoration programs.
Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley said all levels of government have important, complementary, and differentiated roles in climate change adaptation.
“Working with business, governments and the community, I am confident that we can guide greater collective investment in adaptation to reduce the impacts of major weather events.
“Successful adaptation will help ensure that buildings, infrastructure, ecosystems, our communities, and our economy are resilient to the impacts of climate change,” Ms Ley said.
Minister Ley thanked the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) and local government officials for helping to develop the strategy, which was presented to COP26 alongside Australia’s first international Adaptation Communication.