Call for sea level science at Lake Macquarie
By DAMON CRONSHAW
June 9, 2013, 10:30 p.m.
ENVIRONMENT Minister Robyn Parker has advised Lake Macquarie City Council to use the most competent science when considering sea level rise risks to avoid being sued.
The Minister’s comments come as Lake Macquarie residents, especially those at Marks Point, are concerned about their properties being devalued over the council’s controversial actions on sea level rise.
Liberal councillor Ken Paxinos said residents were being treated as ‘‘collateral damage’’.
‘‘We can’t leave these people hanging,’’ Cr Paxinos said.
Labor councillor Barney Langford said the council was using ‘‘sound risk management’’ in its approach to sea level rise projections.
Cr Langford said the council had a responsibility to ‘‘put in place controls to try to manage those risks’’.
Lake Macquarie council wrote to Ms Parker requesting a copy of legal advice from the NSW Crown Solicitor on ‘‘liability issues arising from the withdrawal of the NSW sea level rise benchmarks’’.
The O’Farrell government said last September it had ‘‘removed the need for councils to use state-wide sea level rise projections [of 0.4metres by 2050 and 0.9metres by 2100]’’.
In a letter to the council, Ms Parker said the government had received legal advice on the matter.
‘‘This advice noted that councils should consider adopting sea level rise projections that are widely accepted by competent scientific opinion to minimise their potential liability,’’ Ms Parker’s letter said.
‘‘The advice also noted it was not necessary for the science to be universally accepted, if it was otherwise widely accepted.’’
A council internal memo said coastal councils had received legal advice from insurer Statewide Mutual to ‘‘not move away from the benchmarks’’ until the state environment office provided guidance.