Repeated storms of autumn along the east coast are not something new. I was struck by an account in The Australian 27/3/22. Reference was made to a meteorological “traffic jam” as the cause of our flooding woes. This statement was in the context of the second extreme event; now we are experiencing a third ..read more

In recent weeks there have been two initiatives that place the Australian Government back into coastal management in a direct way. While these are most welcome, it will be important to monitor how they are implemented around the nation given complexities of coastal governance and the “wicked” nature of problems facing coastal managers at state and local government levels ..read more

On 17 November, the Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) released a report in their Climate Change Impact Series on “actions of the sea”. A highlight was the statement that the ICA estimates Australian governments will need to invest $30 billion in large scale coastal protection and adaptation projects over the next 50 years as climate change makes coastal communities, properties, and infrastructure increasingly vulnerable ..read more

Many cities over the years have been challenged by incursions of the sea. Think of Venice, Rotterdam, London, Shanghai, Tokyo, and others. They all tell stories and provide lessons ..read more

Fifty years ago I had my first encounter with the Moruya River, the town, the airport, the old granite quarry, and the beach system to the north of the river entrance. Ever since this area has been one of great importance on the NSW coast, the focus of attention not just by me but by many others interested in coastal evolution and dynamics. It remains so today ..read more

Just 8km north of Maitland in the NSW Hunter Valley lies the small village of Largs. It is adjacent to the growing urban precinct of Bolwarra Heights, but its rural character remains intact with its cute corner pub and the striking Soldiers Memorial Hall. This hall was originally a School of Arts erected in 1878 as part of the movement to improve literacy amongst the largely dairy farming community. In 1921 it was tastefully added to in honour of those who served in World War 1. But for me the village has another less well-known claim to fame-- it is the site of a Last Interglacial (Stage 5e ..read more

Over the past week or so, I have encountered five items of news related to coastal management that I would like to share with you. They are diverse in place and substance. It comes at a time when so many of us are concerned about the future of coastal environments and their use. Each item deserves a blog on its own, but they are all so topical and relevant that I just want to offer a summary ..read more

In February 2010, the Australian Government through the then Dept. of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency (DCCEE), hosted a National Climate Change Forum in Adelaide. The topic of this meeting was “Developing a national coastal adaptation agenda ..read more

Extreme weather events across the Northern Hemisphere this summer have created a range of disasters that highlight threats of living in the new climate era. There is much we can learn from these events whether they involve heat waves, wildfires, floods, coastal erosion, and storm surges ..read more

Many of us are obsessed with the Last Interglacial (LIG or Stage 5e MIS). Between c. 130000 and 115000, global mean temperatures appear to have been slightly warmer by 1 to 2 degrees than present. Global mean sea level appears to have been higher and ice volumes less than today. If we can improve our understanding of these factors, it not just improves our knowledge of the past, but may guide us to how future ice sheets and sea levels are responding to global warming induced by greenhouse gas emissions, not just solar insolation ..read more