Would council be capable of analysing climate advice?

Gosford Council has used a standard template to assess Development Applications regarding climate change and sea level rise (Gosford Council agenda November 19, page 120).

The statement favours Gosford Council and expects climate change research to provide answers to specific minor single nominated development in the Gosford LGA.

To quote the statement, "Internationally, there is a lack of knowledge on the specifics of climate change and the likely impact it will have on the subject development".

To obtain a direct comment from a scientific organization, I asked the CSIRO for a response to the statement.

It is not difficult to believe that the CSIRO responded advising that it is not in the business of supplying research for a single minor nominated development in the Gosford LGA.

The big questions are if the CSIRO or any scientific organisation could provide guaranteed climate change advice on this scale who would be capable of analysing the information at Gosford Council and would it change the Development Application assessment process?

The current process would inhibit scientific comment, not encourage.

Letter, 3 Dec 2013

Norma Harris, Umina