Community members call for funding community-led climate resilience at Climate Resilience Inquiry hearings at Macedon (top left), Melbourne (top right), Wangaratta (mid left), Emerald (mid right), Aireys Inlet (bot left), and Taralgon (bot right).
Friends of the Earth Melbourne
Parliamentary Climate Resilience Inquiry report shines a light on Victoria’s lack of preparedness and funding for climate adaptation, highlighting the urgent need for more state support and up to date climate risk assessments.
The report tabled yesterday by the committee responsible for the Victorian Government’s Inquiry into Climate Resilience acknowledges the stark climate risks facing Victoria and the current inadequacy of the state’s preparedness for these impacts.
FoE commends the Resilience Inquiry committee for undertaking the critical work of assessing how Victoria needs to adapt to climate change and build the resilience necessary to keep our communities safe.
Adequate Adaptation Funding Recommended
The report acknowledges the gap in funding for adaptation initiatives, and the need for a proactive funding approach. It echoes Friends of the Earth Melbourne’s (FoEM) Act on Climate’s (AoC) call that the Victorian Government provide adequate funding to local government and community?based organisations to build climate resilience.
“It’s positive to see the report recommend adaptation funding for local councils and community groups. Without adequate funding, the pressure of climate impacts on everyday peoples’ lives will only continue to escalate,” Vicky Ellmore, AoC Community Organiser, said.
The state government can ensure the impact of this important report by introducing a permanent Victorian Community Climate Adaptation Fund (VCCAF) in the 2026 budget. Ongoing resourcing would empower Victorian communities to effectively prepare for the climate impacts outlined in the inquiry.
A clear solution to this funding need, a permanent VCCAF is featured in the official report as a key funding mechanism proposed by stakeholders, including FoEM. The fund is based on a previous once-off, well-received state government grant, enabling ease and immediacy of re-implementation.
“Adequately funding adaptation now will reduce recovery costs, which the report recognises, and will further ease pressure on our health system, emergency services and economy from climate impacts like heatwaves, fires, floods, and sea-level rise. Waiting to respond to climate disasters greatly increases the monetary and societal cost, Ms Ellmore notes.
Substantial & Ongoing Funding Needs Overlooked
While the report recognises the need for a more flexible and proactive funding approach, it fails to fully convey the substantial amount of funding needed and extend this to recommend the long-term funding of community-led climate adaptation as a means to address resilience and mitigation.
“Investment must be drastically increased and ongoing to enable the immediate and extensive adaptations to prepare for now unavoidable climate impacts. Long term funding is necessary to continue strong local solutions that keep all Victorians safe.”
Other Findings & Recommendations
In line with AoC’s advocacy and many submissions into the Inquiry, the report outlines the need to:
- develop longer?term adaptation strategies in partnership with local communities
- include climate justice considerations across Victoria’s regulatory and legislative framework
- prioritise those disproportionately impacted by climate change
- firmly embed First Nations land management practices in climate resilience efforts, and
- prevent maladaptation by ensuring localised, scenario?based climate risk assessments that reflect unique regional vulnerabilities and use up to date data.
It also points out the need for greater consistency, transparency and accountability around climate risks and adaptation actions. As noted by many submissions to the Inquiry, the Government needs to lead on climate adaptation by providing guidance through certainty, consistency, clarity around responsibility, and an integrated response.
State Obliged & Implored to Act
Victorians need to be, want to be, and can be protected from climate impacts through a variety of available climate adaptation approaches. And, it is an obligation for the Victorian Government in the Climate Change Act (2017) to implement the state’s climate strategy and adaptation action plans.
The Inquiry into Climate Resilience report provides strong evidence for and recommendations how the Victorian Government can achieve this. The government can keep Victorians safe and reduce disaster costs by heading the findings of and implementing the recommendations in this report.
“Climate impacts are impeding Victorians’ way of life, increasing cost of living, making summer holidays chaotic and anxiety-inducing, and hindering the ability of many to do their job safely and optimally. Food supply, health (mental and physical), source of income, cost of living, access to healthcare, housing, transportation, and recreational activities are all at risk,” said Ms Ellmore.
“Implementing these recommendations is incredibly urgent. Communities and people are unsafe and already being impacted and, in some cases devastated, by escalating extreme weather. Before this worsens, as predicted, we need to adapt now,” Ms Ellmore concludes.
Resilience Inquiry Background
The Victorian Government’s Inquiry into Climate Resilience took a much-needed look into the risks facing Victoria’s built environment and infrastructure from climate change and the impact these will have on the people of Victoria. AoC has been ensuring community members’ voices are heard through this Inquiry, both their concerns and the solutions they want to see enacted.
Following the finalisation of submissions to this Inquiry, to ensure community feedback and the most urgent concerns for people across Victoria are heard, AoC published a report on the data from all of the submissions available for public viewing.
The Legislative Council Environment and Planning Committee tabled its final report on the Inquiry on 12 August 2025.
See the links below for more information.
PARLIAMENTARY CLIMATE RESILIENCE INQUIRY REPORT: https://www.parliament.vic.
ACT ON CLIMATE’S REPORT ANALYSING THE SUBMISSIONS: VIC Climate Resilience Inquiry Analysed: The leading concerns & adaptation solutions
ACT ON CLIMATE’S VICTORIAN COMMUNITY CLIMATE ADAPTATION FUND FULL PROPOSAL / POLICY: https://www.melbournefoe.org.
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