Project update

Climate Emergency

On 18 November 2019 Council declared a climate emergency calling for urgent action to reverse global warming.

In response, Council is developing a Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan to more clearly and decisively identify the risks, opportunities and priorities for Frankston City to reduce emissions and build resilience to climate change impacts.

Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan

Council’s Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan includes actions that Council will undertake to respond to climate change. It is a clear plan that will support our community to take action and work together for a better future. It replaces Council’s existing Towards Zero Emissions Plan 2019-2023 and the Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation Plan 2011.

How can you get involved now?

  1. Review our Draft Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan, or see our summaries in the tabs below.
  2. Let us know via our survey below if we have got it right, or if anything is missing. Closes 8 January 2023.
  3. Chat with us at our community pop ups:
    • Launch at community workshop: Wed 23 November 10.30am-12pm

Joy of the Earth Community Garden, 15 Joy Street Frankston, VIC 3199

    Register via Eventbrite: Healthy Soil, Healthy Planet. The Role of Garden Soil in Climate Action

    • Seaford Library: Tue 29 Nov 10am-12pm
    • Langwarrin Service Centre: Tue 29 Nov 1pm-3pm
    • Carrum Downs Library: Wed 30 Nov 10am-12pm
    • Frankston Library: Wed 30 Nov 1pm-3pm

Review our Draft Strategy

Review our Draft Climate Change Strategy, or see our summary below:

Review our adaptation priorities

Understanding Frankston City’s emissions and key vulnerabilities is the first step in climate action, setting targets and planning for a climate smart future.

Our adaptation priorities (discussed on page 26 of the Draft Strategy), and summarised below, have been informed by:

  • Our community's responses to our 2020 and 2022 surveys.
  • The stressors and risks identified in our vulnerability assessement.

These priorities have guided the development of our action plan and will help us identify the most suitable solutions to address our regional and local challenges.

  • Our biodiversity

    Is significantly affected by climate change. More frequent extreme weather events and shifting seasonal patterns are all likely to lead to potentially irreversible changes in our local habitat and threaten the environmental services they provide.

  • Our coastline

    Is vulnerable to the impacts of sea level rise, storm surges and coastal inundation. The significant changes in coastal processes will cause erosion, loss of vegetation, cliff instability and impact beach accessibility.

  • Our community

    Is already being affected by extreme weather events whose compound effects present high public health concern. Younger and older generations as well as people with existing health conditions are particularly vulnerable to the increasingly more common climatic events such as heatwaves or smoke from bushfires.

  • Our Aboriginal cultural heritage

    And the ability of Aboriginal people to care for Country and practice culture are affected by the impacts of climate change. The adverse effects of climate stressors on Country threaten the identity and sense of belonging of Frankston City’s Traditional Owners.

  • Our infrastructure, built environment

    And the services they provide (e.g. buildings, drainage, roads and pathways, open spaces, electricity network) are under more pressure due to climate change, leading to disruptions and higher operating and repair costs.

  • Our homes

    Need to be more resilient, especially those hard to heat or cool, which cannot easily adapt to or be protected from extreme weather events. The segments of our community living in rented accommodation, social and affordable housing, under mortgage or rental stress can struggle to make the necessary improvements and are particularly vulnerable.

Review our Action Plan

The identification and prioritisation of actions for the Climate Change Strategy was informed by four key stages and inputs:

  1. Emissions modelling.
  2. Vulnerability assessment.
  3. Council staff consultation.
  4. Community engagement.

The actions are discussed in detail from page 28 of the Draft Strategy, and are also summarised below.

The actions were prioritised and categorised based on three levels - High, Medium and Low. It is expected that the high priorities will be delivered first, however, some actions may come forward, for example, due to project readiness, potential new sources of funding and/or partnerships, and other opportunities that would enable these actions to be delivered.

“Show leadership and embed climate change in Council’s processes and operations”

“Invest in and support the uptake of active and zero emissions transport”


“Accelerate the transition to renewable energy and zero carbon buildings and assets”

“Protect and adapt our natural environment and open space”

“Build the community’s capacity for climate action and resilience to the impacts of climate change”

“Advance the transition towards zero waste and a circular economy”

What action is Council already taking to address climate change?