Region ‘among worst’ for cost of climate change. Heat on budgets

THE COST of climate change will hit Geelong region households harder than almost anywhere else in Australia, according to a new report.
The State of the Regions Report said climate change would strip an average $3650 a year from local household budgets, equivalent to six per cent of disposable income.
The report ranked the Barwon region fourth in Australia for the cost of securing water supplies and ninth for the total cost of climate change per household.
Consultancy company National Economics for Australian Local Government Association based its findings on costs such as rising food and energy prices, lost agricultural production and proposed water infrastructure.
National Economics used the costs in conjunction with CSIRO data and modelling to determine the cost of climate change for households in regions covering Australia.
South-west Queensland had the highest cost, about $8000 a household, while the smallest impact was on households in wet tropical areas.
The cost for the Barwon region comprised $1182 per household for “water security”, $1344 for lost agricultural income and $1125 in carbon price losses without a national emissions trading scheme.
Company spokesperson Peter Hylands said the purpose of the report was to highlight the “severe” impact of climate change at a local level.
“Climate change has no borders,” he said.
“Someone in the community has to pay for it and the way it filters through to households might be complex but the end result is that in the Barwon region the cost for each household will be $3650.”
Mr Hylands said other data in the report pointed to climate change combining with other cost pressures to drain household budgets even further.
Mr Hylands urged councils to use the report in lobbying higher levels of government for action on climate change.
Geelong Mayor Bruce Harwood said the report “finally” gave councils a reference point to the cost of climate change at a local level.
Council could use the report in setting budgets and campaigning for funding and various programs from higher levels of government, Cr Harwood said.
He was concerned about the report’s estimate of financial impact on households.
“Clearly the cost of climate change will hurt our lower-income earners and aged pensioners the most but at the end of the day everyone is going to be affected.”