The Local Government and Shire Associations of NSW (LGSA) has launched a series of workshops to help councils plan for climate change.

The Climate Change Action Planning for Local Government workshop package is designed to self-assess and create strategies that are suitable to their local circumstances.

Many NSW communities have already experienced the climate changing with widespread prolonged drought, high temperatures and more frequent severe storms, according to President of the Local Government Association, Cr Genia McCaffery.

“By proactively planning and thinking about long-term effects, councils are anticipating and addressing the impacts of what is a global issue on our front door,” said Cr McCaffery.

“The workshop package includes technical advice, guides to hosting workshops to identify climate change risks in particular areas and how to develop a basic greenhouse gas emissions inventory for councils,” she said.

More than a quarter of councils have already completed a risk assessment off their own initiative which identified over 7,000 risks to their operations from climate change, including water shortages, warmer temperatures, a longer fire season and rising sea levels.

President of the Shires Association of NSW, Cr Bruce Miller, said councils were playing an important role in finding appropriate solutions to climate change.

“Councils are at various stages of addressing and responding to climate change and have used a range of approaches, with some projects now case studies of best practice,” he said.