House Standing Committee on Climate Change, Water, Environment and the Arts

Committee activities (inquiries and reports)

Inquiry into climate change and environmental impacts on coastal communities

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Terms of Reference

Inquiry into climate change and environmental impacts on coastal communities The committee will inquire into and report on issues related to climate change and environmental pressures experienced by Australian coastal areas, particularly in the context of coastal population growth. The inquiry will have particular regard to:

• existing policies and programs related to coastal zone management, taking in the catchment-coast-ocean continuum
• the environmental impacts of coastal population growth and mechanisms to promote sustainable use of coastal resources
• the impact of climate change on coastal areas and strategies to deal with climate change adaptation, particularly in response to projected sea level rise
• mechanisms to promote sustainable coastal communities
• governance and institutional arrangements for the coastal zone.

The inquiry was referred to the committee by the Hon Peter Garrett AM MP, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts, and Senator the Hon Penny Wong, the Minister for Climate Change and Water, on 20 March 2008.

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