Climate Adaptation
Climate change through global heating is already impacting Western Australia and will widen and deepen in impact, even allowing for whatever is achieved in reducing greenhouse gases. Thus, a strong, whole of government response is vital for adaptation to these disruptions for our society and our environment.
A unified framework for equitable, evidence-based, climate adaptation must align with community wellbeing, environmental protection and infrastructure resilience. WA’s environmental planning, infrastructure, communities and emergency management legislation must deliver practical, measurable and collaborative initiatives that strengthen both physical and social resilience to climate impacts, and effective adaptation to the changing climate.
Aims
The Greens (WA) want:
● climate resilient communities with adaptive capacity to climate risks, disaster risk reduction, and emergency preparedness
● adequate and equitable financial and service support for communities, especially the more vulnerable, in the mitigating of climate change impacts
● First Nations leadership and knowledge prioritised in adaptation planning and implementation
● regional and landscape-scale adaptation programs, with protection of ecosystems, biodiversity, and natural assets that underpin resilience, climate-resilient land use planning, and development control
● climate-resilient government infrastructure, housing, and health services
● building of the knowledge base and workforce capacity for climate adaptation, and strengthening emergency response
● establishment of robust governance and accountability in adaptation delivery, including for public-private partnerships
Measures
The Greens (WA) will initiate and support legislation and actions to:
Communities
● embed climate risk management in community service delivery frameworks
● support community consultation, community-led resilience hubs, community resilience networks, and neighbourhood support systems for emergencies
● fund local government resilience initiatives focusing on community preparedness, social housing, vulnerable populations, and essential services
● increase preparedness through community evacuation planning and hazard early warning systems
● monitor and mitigate climate-related public health impacts
● develop heatwave response plans, including public cooling centres during heatwaves
● develop and deliver community education and resilience programs and toolkits on bushfire readiness, and heatwave, flood and cyclone preparedness
● guarantee funding for community recovery programs after climate disasters
Equity
● prioritise funding for vulnerable and remote communities (especially First Nations communities) towards adaptation measures
● safeguard, equitably and adequately for all sections of society, people’s lives, homes, and infrastructure from climate impacts
● strengthen social resilience through support systems for vulnerable populations during climate events
● ensure fair access to public support, housing protections and insurance, including government underwriting where required
● provide financial assistance for climate-affected livelihoods
● ensure costs of climate disasters (e.g. preparedness, insurance, recovery and rebuilding) do not fall on households, but rather on corporations profiting from fossil fuels
First Nations Leadership
● collaborate with the Aboriginal Advisory Council and First Nations organisations to integrate cultural resilience and traditional ecological knowledge
● involve Traditional Owner leadership in co-designed adaptation policies and adaptation decision-making
● integrate indigenous ecological knowledge into adaptation planning
● support implementation of sustainable practices such as cultural burning for bushfire resilience
● build on Indigenous ranger programs with regard to climate risk mitigation and adaptation
Environment and Land Use
● partner with Traditional Owners to co-manage Country for climate and biodiversity outcomes
● expand publicly available climate projection and vulnerability mapping, with integration into natural resource management and urban planning schemes
● strengthen biodiversity conservation legislation to prioritise ecosystem resilience in response to climate change
● fund revegetation and ecological restoration projects, including urban greening to reduce heat
● fund biodiversity monitoring and habitat corridors to support ecosystem adaptation, with protection of climate refugia
● end landscape-scale target-driven prescribed burning in forests and woodlands
● support catchment-scale water management projects for drought and flood mitigation and adaptation
● expand coastal protection programs and dune restoration initiatives, and urban coastal adaptation frameworks including for coastal setback and managed retreat
● place restrictions on development in high-risk areas, avoiding infrastructure development in climate hazard zones
Infrastructure and Services
● require infrastructure development to anticipate and reduce climate risks
● conduct asset audits to identify climate vulnerabilities and prioritise adaptation upgrades
● apply climate risk assessments to all new public infrastructure projects
● upgrade public infrastructure to climate-resilient standards, including flood-resilient transport and utilities infrastructure
● ensure climate-resilient hospitals and emergency facilities
● retrofit public housing stock for energy efficiency, passive cooling, and disaster resilience
● promote energy literacy programs for households to improve adaptive energy practices
Capacity Building
● support data-sharing platforms and open-access adaptation tools
● expand research partnerships with universities and research institutions
● strengthen public-private partnerships for innovation in adaptation financing and technology
● pilot innovation grants for local adaptation technologies and social resilience initiatives.
● deliver training programs on climate resilience for government and community workers, as well as farmer and land manager training
● increase support for volunteer firefighting and State Emergency Services networks, with improved emergency response infrastructure
Governance and Partnerships
● maintain cross-government climate adaptation governance structures and a climate change interdepartmental steering group for whole-of-government oversight
● publish annual adaptation progress reports, and integrate performance metrics into all agencies’ key-performance indicators
● develop climate resilience indicators for state reporting and infrastructure WA evaluation
● facilitate partnerships between government, non-government organisations (NGOs) and communities
● develop participatory planning processes and community advisory structures for adaptation programs
● provide disaster resilience funding for NGOs and community organisations, with grants for community adaptation initiatives
(See also the Greens WA Climate Change policy)
The Greens (WA) Climate Adaptation policy was adopted in May, 2026
The Greens (WA) spokesperson for Climate Adaptation is Sophie McNeill MLC