What we want to see within ten years
Goal 9: Conserving our unique natural environment for generations to come
Goals are how the Shire has interpreted and grouped the things that the community wants everyone to work together to improve over the next ten years
Goal Outcomes:
- Protect and enhance our natural environment🏕️ - We care for and enjoy our unique natural environment
- Climate Change🌎 - Infrastructure is designed for our harsh climate
Background:
The spectacular natural environment and relaxed lifestyle are some of the main attractions of living here. It is important that a balance is maintained so that the region is able to grow and thrive without compromising these lifestyle benefits.
Many people appreciate pleasant and natural surroundings in their place of residence and for their leisure time. Both are influenced by the quality of the local environment. An environment that is contaminated with pollutants and noise affects the mental and physical health of the population.
Climate change projections of Australia’s future climate are delivered at a national level through the Climate Change in Australia website.
The climate of the north western Australia is projected to change over the coming decades. By mid- century, the following changes are projected:
Sustainable resource management can be defined as the application of sustainable practices by managing resources in a way that will benefit current and future generations. Simply put, it means managing resources in a way that doesn't impact future generations.
4 Average of Northern Territory coastal council values from CoastAdapt .
The spectacular natural environment and relaxed lifestyle are some of the main attractions of living here. It is important that a balance is maintained so that the region is able to grow and thrive without compromising these lifestyle benefits.
Many people appreciate pleasant and natural surroundings in their place of residence and for their leisure time. Both are influenced by the quality of the local environment. An environment that is contaminated with pollutants and noise affects the mental and physical health of the population.
Climate change projections of Australia’s future climate are delivered at a national level through the Climate Change in Australia website.
The climate of the north western Australia is projected to change over the coming decades. By mid- century, the following changes are projected:
- Sea levels are projected to rise by around 20 cm along the coast of the East Kimberley (4)
Sustainable resource management can be defined as the application of sustainable practices by managing resources in a way that will benefit current and future generations. Simply put, it means managing resources in a way that doesn't impact future generations.
4 Average of Northern Territory coastal council values from CoastAdapt .
More about 9.1 Protect and enhance our natural environment 🏕️
Analysis:
Many people appreciate pleasant and natural surroundings in their place of residence and for their leisure time.
There are many health documented benefits to connecting with nature in healthy ecosystems. For example, plants stimulate the imagination and help us concentrate, reduce stress and fight disease. People who live close to nature are more likely to be social, know their neighbours and experience less crime.
Areas with more trees and fewer paved surfaces are cooler. Planted areas reduce the risk of damaging floods, slow water flow down, and filter water before it enters our waterways.
Our Community’s Aspirations:
Actions:
Many people appreciate pleasant and natural surroundings in their place of residence and for their leisure time.
There are many health documented benefits to connecting with nature in healthy ecosystems. For example, plants stimulate the imagination and help us concentrate, reduce stress and fight disease. People who live close to nature are more likely to be social, know their neighbours and experience less crime.
Areas with more trees and fewer paved surfaces are cooler. Planted areas reduce the risk of damaging floods, slow water flow down, and filter water before it enters our waterways.
Our Community’s Aspirations:
- Streets are lined with trees to create shade, cooling temperatures, facilitate walking and riding.
- We value our Kimberley lifestyle and natural environment.
Actions:
- Work in partnership to implement cooperative programs to manage land, fire, pathogens, introduced animals and weeds
- Manage waste sustainably and provide an integrated approach to waste management that includes waste minimisation
More about 9.2 Climate Change 🌎
Climate
The East Kimberley is located within the Monsoonal North West climate region. The Monsoonal North West covers tropical rainforests, wetlands and arid rangelands of the Northern Territory, and the steep mountain ranges of the Ord and Fitzroy River catchments of the Kimberley. Bordering along the north is the Timor Sea, while the Gulf of Carpentaria lies along the eastern edges.
Climate change predictions
Climate change impacts
Climate change may mean that the lifespan of public infrastructure including shire infrastructure assets is shorter than planned, or that maintenance costs increase significantly. It may also mean that repairs are needed more frequently, or that materials could deteriorate more quickly. Transport infrastructure is particularly vulnerable and can be directly damaged by higher temperatures, flooding and bush fires.
Climate change adaptation
Public infrastructure including Shire infrastructure is vital for the safety and wellbeing of its people, and to support delivery of public services. Therefore it is important that this critical infrastructure can withstand both the current climate and expected future changes to climate.
Existing infrastructure may need to be retrofitted, or adapted to cope with current and future events. Examples might be increasing drainage capacity, or adapting road constriction design and maintenance to reduce damage during weather events.
New infrastructure assets should be prioritised, planned, designed, built and operated to account for the climate changes that may occur over their lifetimes.
The East Kimberley is located within the Monsoonal North West climate region. The Monsoonal North West covers tropical rainforests, wetlands and arid rangelands of the Northern Territory, and the steep mountain ranges of the Ord and Fitzroy River catchments of the Kimberley. Bordering along the north is the Timor Sea, while the Gulf of Carpentaria lies along the eastern edges.
Climate change predictions
- Average temperatures will continue to increase in all seasons (very high confidence).
- More hot days and warm spells are projected with very high confidence.
- Changes to rainfall are possible but unclear.
- Increased intensity of extreme rainfall events is projected, with high confidence.
- Mean sea level will continue to rise and height of extreme sea-level events will also increase (very high confidence).
- With medium confidence, fewer but more intense tropical cyclones are projected.
Climate change impacts
Climate change may mean that the lifespan of public infrastructure including shire infrastructure assets is shorter than planned, or that maintenance costs increase significantly. It may also mean that repairs are needed more frequently, or that materials could deteriorate more quickly. Transport infrastructure is particularly vulnerable and can be directly damaged by higher temperatures, flooding and bush fires.
Climate change adaptation
Public infrastructure including Shire infrastructure is vital for the safety and wellbeing of its people, and to support delivery of public services. Therefore it is important that this critical infrastructure can withstand both the current climate and expected future changes to climate.
Existing infrastructure may need to be retrofitted, or adapted to cope with current and future events. Examples might be increasing drainage capacity, or adapting road constriction design and maintenance to reduce damage during weather events.
New infrastructure assets should be prioritised, planned, designed, built and operated to account for the climate changes that may occur over their lifetimes.
Have we missed anything?
Use the comment box below to let us know if there is anything that might have been missed
Use the comment box below to let us know if there is anything that might have been missed
What we will do
Shire's Role in achieving the Goal:
The Shire will develop and implement plans to protect our unique environment, while meeting current and future community land use needs.
The Shire will develop and implement plans to protect our unique environment, while meeting current and future community land use needs.
Developing strategies and the Shire's Response:
Based on input and feedback from the community, available statistics and analysis by local and national agencies the following objectives have been identified as the best ways to achieve the community goal.
Based on input and feedback from the community, available statistics and analysis by local and national agencies the following objectives have been identified as the best ways to achieve the community goal.
Shire strategies in achieving the goal:
- Work in partnership to implement cooperative programs to manage waste, land, fire, pathogens, introduced animals and weeds
- Actively address the causes and impacts of climate change
Linking the Shire strategies to the goal outcomes:
9.1 Protect and enhance our natural environment 🏕️ |
We care for and enjoy our unique natural environment Work in partnership to implement cooperative programs to manage waste, land, fire, pathogens, introduced animals and weeds |
9.2 Climate Change 🌎 |
Infrastructure is designed for our harsh climate Actively address the causes and impacts of climate change |
What do you think the Shire should do?
Use the comment box below to tell us what you think the Shire's role should be in this space in the future
Use the comment box below to tell us what you think the Shire's role should be in this space in the future
Community Input
Our community’s aspirations:
- The natural wilderness continues to contribute to our lifestyle and is a major attraction for visitors
- Ability to explore our natural environment close to home
- Improved environmental management and biodiversity outcomes
- We all respect and care for the environment
- Reduce carbon footprint
- Climate-resilient infrastructure
- Mining and resource activities have a long-term positive impact on community and the environment.
- Streets are lined with trees to create shade, cooling temperatures, facilitate walking and riding.
- We value our Kimberley lifestyle and natural environment
Community comment received:
2021 Community Scorecard Perception Survey:
Community Vision survey - Shire wide
Community Vision survey - Kununurra
2021 Community Scorecard Perception Survey:
Community Vision survey - Shire wide
- Clean up Lake Kununurra, particularly around Celebrity Tree Park
- Improve the swim beach park
- More development and access to our river and beautiful waterways. It baffles me that we don't have cafes, development etc on the water
- More national parks and designated bush camping
- Start by getting rid of casino park
- The management of the Ord river, the river is now overgrown with weeds and silted up down the lower Ord, this is caused by farming and the lower Ord will choke to death if nothing is done
- Stop the never ending bush fires through the dry season
- Don't mess with the natural environment e.g. Foreshore of Lake Kununurra
- Better fishing facilities, there are no fish cleaning areas at any boat ramps.
- access roads to new fishing spots
- Create an incentive for people to look after their front verges.
- Don't mess with the natural environment eg. Foreshore of Lake Kununurra
- Restocking more of our rivers
- Cleaning lake [Lake Kununurra]
Community Vision survey - Kununurra
- Greater access to the Lake, recreational and residential development will improve liveability and desirability into the future.
- Invasive plants eradicated or at least well reduced and replaced by native vegetation which would have been originally occurring.
- clean up Lilly lagoon
- Introduce a per head levy to tour boat and other commercial river uses to help fund clean-up and foreshore developments of Lilly lagoon.
- Use cattle to eat down the cane grass etc using an integrated management plan based on growth not stagnation
- A serious eradication program for weed species such as neem, leucana, rain trees, caliotropis, passiflora foetida etc particularly but not only along water frontages to the Diversion Dam and the river below the dam leaving indigenous trees and shrubs to recover.
- Use mowers or whipper snippers on verges instead of blanket roundup. Makes the place look like a desert and has seriously reduced the local insect and birdlife.
