Update by: Maria Anselmo, Regional Climate Resilience Coordinator
The first Climate Resilience Technical Committee meeting for 2025 occurred on Friday 31 January during a week of intense rainfall. Demonstrating the principles of resilience in action, we swiftly adapted to the conditions, shifting the meeting online to deliver the first of two Strategic Project Prioritisation Workshops.
These workshops were designed to identify and prioritise projects for delivery through upcoming grant programs. Committee members reviewed existing actions under the Rivers to Reef Climate Action Plan2021-2026 and identified new mitigation and adaptation actions. This process enabled Croydon Shire Council, Douglas Shire Council, and Cassowary Coast Council to incorporate locally relevant actions into the regional climate action plan. Members identified eleven new mitigation actions during the workshop and twenty additional adaptation actions. These actions were assessed and ranked using an agreed prioritisation framework to ensure future funding applications align with regional needs.
Among the top five priorities was a clear need to explore alternative funding mechanisms for climate adaptation. Recognising the region’s reliance on external funding for most climate initiatives, the FNQROC Climate Resilience Technical Committee submitted a grant application through the Queensland Climate Resilience Program. The proposed project aims to investigate sustainable financial models that could support councils in delivering long-term, economically viable climate action.
Community of Practice
Building on the success of our first online knowledge-sharing session, we hosted a second Strategic Project Prioritisation Workshop on Thursday 27 February which focused on heat resilience, featuring a presentation from the Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils’ (WESROC) Heat Resilience Project Manager. This insightful discussion has opened the door for FNQROC to support WESROC’s grant application, which seeks to expand the online platform, Cool Suburbs Assessment, for use in Far North Queensland.
Disaster Resilience – Natural Environment
In collaboration with Cassowary Coast Regional Council’s Natural Environment and Sustainability team, engagement sessions have commenced with key stakeholders in disaster management. These sessions will inform the development of a local Natural Assets Disaster Preparedness Plan, which will support Natural Asset Management teams and Environmental Recovery Sub-Groups to strengthen environmental protection during disaster events.
The outcomes of this work will also contribute to the development of a regional Natural Assets Disaster Management Framework, helping to build a more coordinated and resilient approach across the broader Far North Queensland region.