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Q: ‘If there is to be a strategic plan on sea level rise for the local area, who should have responsibility for making that plan?’

Equitable, efficient and effective adaptation to sea level rise will require the ability for individuals, communities and governments to decide on and implement a range of adaptation options suitable to local contexts. Strategic planning at a local level is an essential part of adaptation in this context and confusion on the governance aspects of planning processes have been identified in this project as a key barrier to adaptation to sea level rise. While this question asked about local planning the majority of

participants specified a preference for a combination of actors at different scales to have responsibility for planning.

Local government made up the largest proportion of preferences for responsibility for strategic planning, followed by state and then federal government. Community groups made up the largest percentage of preferences for responsibility in this question than in any other.

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Figure 16: Respondents preferences for responsibility for local strategic

planning for adaptation to sea level rise. Respondents were able to choose more than one category.

There was a stronger preference in this question for responsibility to be shared across groups than in any other question on responsibility. Very rarely did anyone see this as a role for any single agency or individual.

‘Well, you would want local government, and you'd want community

organisations, which would include private property owners. I would say that those two should do it, but that you need an impartial overseer to make sure that the strategic plan includes the inputs of all those people, not just the shire doing what they want to do.’ Interview 50a Mornington Peninsula

‘Well, the local government and the residents [should be responsible for a strategic plan] but there should be guidelines from state and federal

government first. Strict, accurate guidelines, as accurate as possible according to scientists. Then the local government takes over because they are in charge. They have engineers and planners and they're the only people who know the terrain.’ Interview 20 Eurobodalla

The federal government was often identified in order to provide a nationally uniform approach and avoid conflict in plans between local government areas. Many believed federal government involvement would empower, engage and provide direction for local governments on an issue struggling to find consistency and traction at the local scale.

‘Well I really think the federal government is the only one that's got the overall oversight. I think we've just got to bypass local government and state

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It's not only Victoria that's affected by sea level rise. It's everywhere around Australia.’ Interview 47 Mornington Peninsula

‘In an ideal world, if they did the right thing, the place to do it is

Federal Government, even though Mornington Peninsula is unique, when it comes to sea level rise, and global warming, it is a national issue. It's not a Mornington Peninsula issue.’ Interview 50 Mornington Peninsula

While many respondents mentioned the state governments involvement in formulating a local plan, it was often in the context of an intergovernmental approach and rarely did anyone identify a specific reason why the state alone should be involved.

‘There is a lot of Victoria that is under threat if the sea rises, so it should just be a format for that - for the whole of Victoria rather than having different balls for different local governments; it would be very confusing.’ Interview 55a

Mornington Peninsula

As may be expected, many saw local government playing a significant role in local planning given their familiarity with the local geographic issues and the local community.

‘That’s traditionally a local government role, I think that should stay with local government and the community because we’re essentially the pointy end of sea level rise. When you talk about sea level rise and who it’s going to impact, it all happens in small towns and small communities. I think strategic planning is something we do through our local environmental plans and things like that. That should stay in the local government but it should be supported with a stronger base of information.’ Interview 2 Eurobodalla

The role of community organisations was identified more often in this question than any other question on responsibility. Much of the justification for this was based on a belief that community organisations are able to represent a range of local interests and are able to more effectively communicate local knowledge.

‘More the local and the state governments deciding on what sort of plan. But getting involved the smaller organisations like Blue Wedges and at least

discussing with them a strategy, and getting opinions from more sources so that they can make a better decision and look at things from different perspectives.’ Interview 41

‘It will come from residents and community groups because of the need to incorporate local knowledge which I think is often overlooked. I think quite often the big view down from academia and others is that there is a set of operating principles which really has not a lot to do with the local variances.’ Interview 51 Mornington Peninsula

Many interviewees recognised a wealth of knowledge among their fellow residents and believed a local plan was the best place for this knowledge to be utilised.

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‘There's no doubt about local knowledge. That's relevant. Local people know more about it than somebody sitting in Spring Street or whatever because we're here. So yeah, there should be input from us.’ Interview 47 Mornington

Peninsula

The discussion of local planning recognised the need for collaboration across government, the utilization of local knowledge and the ways for community organisations to take part in informative and useful dialogue. This may provide an insight into opportunities to engage the public on adaptation to sea level rise and to incorporate community input into adaptation planning.