Homes ‘under water’ in new sea-rise maps

Kim Waters
RISING sea levels will eventually flood Geelong Grammar School, Corio Bay Yacht Club and Point Lonsdale, according to Corangamite MP Darren Cheeseman.
He released images of new Department of Climate Change maps on Wednesday showing rising seas would also submerge coastal properties across the region in the next 90 years.
Mr Cheesmean said the department had identified Geelong as one of the regions set to be “worst affected” by rising seas.
The maps also predicted:
• flooding of homes and a caravan park at Ocean Grove;
• roads to Point Henry, Breamlea and Barwon Heads would be underwater;
• inundation of an eastern section of Torquay’s The Sands estate; and
• “broad-scale foreshore inundation” across the Surf Coast and the Bellarine Peninsula.
Mr Cheeseman said the maps backed up his own predictions of climate change disaster across the region.
“We are more vulnerable to climate change and rising sea levels than just about any other region in Australia and the new maps absolutely back up the private research I commissioned four years ago.
“This new date provides scenarios covering low-level, medium-level and high-sea-level rise and we have major risks whichever way you look at it.”
Mr Cheeseman said Federal Government developed the maps with Cooperative Research Centre using the “highest resolution elevation data currently available”.
“The maps provide useful initial information to decision-makers to prepare for potential risks from rising sea levels in coastal areas.
“I urge councils and planner to act on this and I believe the state planning authorities must now prohibit development in vulnerable areas so that private and public investment in protected.”
Mr Cheeseman said the maps highlighted the importance of the Gillard Government’s plan for a carbon tax.
“The maps show we must act to tackle climate change and that establishing a value on carbon pollution right across the economy must be our highest priority.”
Geelong weatherman and climate change sceptic Lindsay Smail accused Mr Cheesman of promoting an “alarmist-type” theory.
“He won’t be here in 90 years for everyone to see the egg on his face,” Mr Smail said.
He believed the maps were “politically driven rather than scientifically proven”.
Scientists had found that sea-level rises in the Pacific were due to shifts in Earth’s tectonic plates rather than so-called climate change, Mr Smail said.