Hawkesbury City Council in NSW faces significant climate risks, having experienced extreme climatic events in recent years. Following prolonged drought, the 2019–2020 bushfires devastated large areas of national parks and rural land. Between 2020 and 2022, the region was hit by four major floods, including two in early 2022. These extreme events highlighted the growing risks and impacts of climate change.

To help Council address these risks, the Alluvium Group (led by Mosaic Insights) was engaged to conduct a climate risk assessment and develop an adaptation plan. The project team applied the IPCC-recommended risk assessment process, identifying climate hazards, exposure levels, and vulnerabilities across Council’s assets, services, and community. Using an interactive web mapper in ArcGIS, the project team visualised climate impacts and pinpointed at-risk infrastructure.

Through collaboration with Council staff and state agencies, communication and planning efforts associated with this proejct were strengthened. The resulting Climate Risk Adaptation Plan provides a strategic roadmap to integrate climate resilience into infrastructure design, asset management, and service delivery, ensuring Hawkesbury is better prepared for future climate challenges.