Shifting Sands: Uncertainty and a local community response to sea levels and policy in Australia

Abstract

[Extract] Sea level rise presents uncertain environmental and social conditions that require a rethink of institutional arrangements for the Australian coastline (Abel et al. 2011; Ryan et al. 2011). Coastal policies need to have a degree of public understanding of the required trade-offs to be successfully implemented (Tompkins et al. 2008). Therefore governments will need to balance the expectations, aspirations and values of coastal communities. Central to this balancing act is the need to account for the social dimensions of uncertainty which play an important role in the ability of local authorities to transition to new regulatory and legislative arrangements. In this chapter we use environmental planning theory to better understand concepts of uncertainty in one community on the east coast of Australia. We analyse the community discourse following the implementation of a local government policy for adapting to sea level rise. Through media analysis, we trace the varying perceptions of uncertainty articulated by community members and reflect on how these discourses help us understand and engage with local contexts and conflicts caused by complex environmental changes and policy responses.