Climate change
The impacts of climate change – including from more frequent and severe natural disasters, coastal erosion and rising temperatures – are being felt right across every community.
As the closest government to communities, councils are critical to creating a sustainable, prosperous future for Australia – as well as helping the Federal Government achieve its target of net zero emissions by 2050.
However, councils will require support to prepare and manage the impacts of a changing climate for their communities.
Climate adaptation
Many of Australia’s councils are at the frontline of climate adaptation. For example, local governments build public swimming pools to keep people cool, plant trees to provide shade, and upgrade stormwater systems to manage heavy rains.
With their local knowledge, experience, connections and leadership roles in their communities, local governments play an indispensable role in addressing climate-related risks, seizing opportunities arising from new industries, and achieving national climate adaptation objectives.
Councils are already investing significantly to prepare and manage the impacts of a changing climate, but they need greater support which matches the scale of the challenges.
Modelling undertaken by ALGA demonstrates that through their climate adaptation initiatives, councils are already delivering at least $0.8 and $3.1 per $1 of investment. When modelled at the national scale, continued local government spending on adaptation at these levels would equate to at least $400 million per year, or $2 billion invested in the five years to 2030. This $2 billion investment is estimated to benefit local communities by between $2.2 and $4.7 billion.
ALGA is calling for a new $400 million per year climate adaptation fund, to be distributed across all councils to provide local, place-based solutions to Australia’s changing climate.
We are also asking the Federal Government to:
- Streamline and make it easier for local governments to undertake climate risk management. This should involve implementing a voluntary climate risk framework for local government which supports consistent climate risk assessment, reporting, decision making and expenditure.
- Develop, operate and maintain an information and data suite designed specifically for local government adaptation use (on an opt-in basis).
Emissions reduction
The Australian Local Government Climate Review 2024 found 86 per cent of councils (of 120 council respondents) had an emissions inventory. Barriers to reducing corporate emissions included internal resourcing (69 per cent), funding (64 per cent), and staff capability (40 per cent).
While councils are committed to reducing emissions at a local level, more funding is needed so that costs aren’t borne by ratepayers and allow communities to share in the savings and benefits of low emissions technologies quicker.
ALGA is asking the Federal Government to:
- Collaborate with local governments as part of a multi-level governance approach (per the Australian Government’s pledge to the Coalition for High Ambition Multilevel Partnerships) to undertake strategic planning and prioritisation of net zero projects, infrastructure and service needs on a regional level.
- Fund emissions reduction plans with local governments across states and territories to facilitate a place-based approach to achieving net zero communities.
- Expand, and make more accessible, existing funding programs which enable local governments to reduce emissions and support community emissions reduction.
- Provide councils with accessible and nationally harmonised tools to maintain pace with trends in emissions measurement and reporting.
- Ensure local governments are compensated where emissions reduction processes place additional pressure on services and infrastructure (e.g, heavier EV truck impact on maintenance/standards of roads/bridges).
Renewable energy transition
Local governments are irreplaceable and essential partners in all aspects of transition to net zero. They often liaise with proponents, negotiate benefits for their communities, provide trusted information to residents, and manage the stresses that large projects can create, such as on roads, housing, and local skills and trades.
Local governments work to balance the need to build a positive long-term legacy through the opportunities of the transition, with the risks and impacts of the immediate roll-out.
ALGA is asking the Federal Government to:
- Create a program of work dedicated to understanding local government experiences with renewable energy transition in their local area and region and develop specific supports for local governments.
- Establish a national approach and mechanism for cost recovery to local governments for the role of brokering benefits between project proponents and their communities, benefitting all Australians.
- Develop and maintain regional plans and a national map demonstrating zoning for prospective and proposed renewable energy projects and transmission corridors.
How we represent local government
ALGA represents and advocates for local government by participating in the following groups:
- Energy and Climate Ministers’ Meeting
- Infrastructure and Transport Ministers Meeting
- Building Ministers’ Meeting
- Net Zero Economy Authority Stakeholder Panel
- Intergovernmental Adaptation Working Group
- Intergovernmental Decarbonisation Working Group
- Developer Rating Scheme Stakeholder Reference Group.
Our submissions and reports
- Adapting Together: Local Government Leadership in a Changing Climate
- Submission to the Productivity Commission’s Interim Report on Clean Energy and Net Zero
- Submission to Transport and Infrastructure net zero consultation roadmap
- Submission to Climate Change Authority 2025 issues paper
- Submission to the Adaptation Plan Issues Paper
Other policy priorities
