Building Regional Partnerships to Understand Cascading Climate Risks & Critical Infrastructure Failure at Local Scales
Tracks
Room 4 - Surfers Paradise Ballroom
| Monday, July 27, 2026 |
| 1:55 PM - 2:25 PM |
| Room 4 - Surfers Paradise Ballroom |
Overview
Shayan Barmand, Noosa Council,
Gillian Smith, Sunshine Coast Council,
Ella Reeks, Climate in Mind
Details
Three Key Learnings
1. Local governments face heightened critical infrastructure failure risks because they operate at the centre of interconnected infrastructure systems and dependencies.
2. Effective risk understanding requires multi‑scale, multi‑organisational partnerships, supported by new relationship models that span multiple levels and sectors.
3. Bundling and integrating adaptation measures across key assets and services delivers strong business cases than can reduce long‑term productivity losses.
Speaker
Shayan Barmand
Sustainability, Climate Change & First Nations Partnerships Coordinator
Noosa Council
Building Regional Partnerships to Understand Cascading Climate Risks & Critical Infrastructure Failure at Local Scales
Abstract
Climate hazards do not respect organisational boundaries. The Sunshine Coast Regional Cascading Climate Risks and Critical Infrastructure (CI) Failure Project addresses the systemic vulnerability of local government services to CI failure driven by increasing extreme climate events. Enabled by a $1.1M Queensland Reconstruction Authority grant, the partnership project between Sunshine Coast and Noosa Councils moved beyond a standard risk assessment to map complex interdependencies across energy, water, telecommunications, and transport networks, unpacking how failures in these systems could impact Council services.
A formal governance framework was established, including an Executive Steering Group and Stakeholder Reference Group comprising national, state and regional level representation across 14 major agencies (including Energex, Telstra, Unitywater, NBN Co, Seqwater, and Queensland Police). While the initial aim was to identify risks to council services from cascading failures—such as power loss disabling water supply to a council-run place of refuge during a heatwave and drought—the partnership catalysed a broader systemic shift. It strengthened links between long-term capital planners, climate specialists and disaster management teams, breaking operational silos and enabling strategic risk reduction for both acute and chronic stressors. This has already informed policy and process changes, including developing multi-functional assets for vulnerable communities, creating a new asset screening process and improving council business continuity plans. Tangible on-ground benefits are emerging, such as coordinated early planning for the Bradman Avenue seawall renewal, where CI relocations require joint management.
A key lesson was the significant time needed to build effective partnerships. Progress was slowed by organisational complexity, governance processes and the need to carefully manage sensitive information to build trust. Participants highlighted that senior leadership endorsement is essential, as technical specialists alone cannot sustain cross-sector collaboration. This replicable approach shows how councils can build enduring partnerships that address root causes of risk and strengthen system-wide resilience.
A formal governance framework was established, including an Executive Steering Group and Stakeholder Reference Group comprising national, state and regional level representation across 14 major agencies (including Energex, Telstra, Unitywater, NBN Co, Seqwater, and Queensland Police). While the initial aim was to identify risks to council services from cascading failures—such as power loss disabling water supply to a council-run place of refuge during a heatwave and drought—the partnership catalysed a broader systemic shift. It strengthened links between long-term capital planners, climate specialists and disaster management teams, breaking operational silos and enabling strategic risk reduction for both acute and chronic stressors. This has already informed policy and process changes, including developing multi-functional assets for vulnerable communities, creating a new asset screening process and improving council business continuity plans. Tangible on-ground benefits are emerging, such as coordinated early planning for the Bradman Avenue seawall renewal, where CI relocations require joint management.
A key lesson was the significant time needed to build effective partnerships. Progress was slowed by organisational complexity, governance processes and the need to carefully manage sensitive information to build trust. Participants highlighted that senior leadership endorsement is essential, as technical specialists alone cannot sustain cross-sector collaboration. This replicable approach shows how councils can build enduring partnerships that address root causes of risk and strengthen system-wide resilience.
Biography
Shayan is a climate resilience and sustainable development specialist with fifteen years of experience working in the US, Qatar/UAE, South Africa and Australia. Shayan is currently coordinating the climate change, sustainability & First Nations partnerships program for local government in Noosa, focusing on building a climate resilient and nature positive future for the region.
Ms Ella Reeks
Director
Climate in Mind
Building Regional Partnerships to Understand Cascading Climate Risks & Critical Infrastructure Failure at Local Scales
Abstract
Climate hazards do not respect organisational boundaries. The Sunshine Coast Regional Cascading Climate Risks and Critical Infrastructure (CI) Failure Project addresses the systemic vulnerability of local government services to CI failure driven by increasing extreme climate events. Enabled by a $1.1M Queensland Reconstruction Authority grant, the partnership project between Sunshine Coast and Noosa Councils moved beyond a standard risk assessment to map complex interdependencies across energy, water, telecommunications, and transport networks, unpacking how failures in these systems could impact Council services.
A formal governance framework was established, including an Executive Steering Group and Stakeholder Reference Group comprising national, state and regional level representation across 14 major agencies (including Energex, Telstra, Unitywater, NBN Co, Seqwater, and Queensland Police). While the initial aim was to identify risks to council services from cascading failures—such as power loss disabling water supply to a council-run place of refuge during a heatwave and drought—the partnership catalysed a broader systemic shift. It strengthened links between long-term capital planners, climate specialists and disaster management teams, breaking operational silos and enabling strategic risk reduction for both acute and chronic stressors. This has already informed policy and process changes, including developing multi-functional assets for vulnerable communities, creating a new asset screening process and improving council business continuity plans. Tangible on-ground benefits are emerging, such as coordinated early planning for the Bradman Avenue seawall renewal, where CI relocations require joint management.
A key lesson was the significant time needed to build effective partnerships. Progress was slowed by organisational complexity, governance processes and the need to carefully manage sensitive information to build trust. Participants highlighted that senior leadership endorsement is essential, as technical specialists alone cannot sustain cross-sector collaboration. This replicable approach shows how councils can build enduring partnerships that address root causes of risk and strengthen system-wide resilience.
A formal governance framework was established, including an Executive Steering Group and Stakeholder Reference Group comprising national, state and regional level representation across 14 major agencies (including Energex, Telstra, Unitywater, NBN Co, Seqwater, and Queensland Police). While the initial aim was to identify risks to council services from cascading failures—such as power loss disabling water supply to a council-run place of refuge during a heatwave and drought—the partnership catalysed a broader systemic shift. It strengthened links between long-term capital planners, climate specialists and disaster management teams, breaking operational silos and enabling strategic risk reduction for both acute and chronic stressors. This has already informed policy and process changes, including developing multi-functional assets for vulnerable communities, creating a new asset screening process and improving council business continuity plans. Tangible on-ground benefits are emerging, such as coordinated early planning for the Bradman Avenue seawall renewal, where CI relocations require joint management.
A key lesson was the significant time needed to build effective partnerships. Progress was slowed by organisational complexity, governance processes and the need to carefully manage sensitive information to build trust. Participants highlighted that senior leadership endorsement is essential, as technical specialists alone cannot sustain cross-sector collaboration. This replicable approach shows how councils can build enduring partnerships that address root causes of risk and strengthen system-wide resilience.
Biography
Ella is a climate and disaster risk consultant who brings a unique set of skills in scoping complex practical problems for clients and developing adaptive, research-informed approaches and methodologies. She has worked with local government organisations, government utilities, state and federal agencies, and businesses on projects to advance climate risk management, disaster risk reduction and resilience, and social and environmental responsibility since the early 2000s. This includes leading climate risk assessment and adaptation planning projects, disaster risk reduction and resilience strategies, and a range of governance and organisational and institutional change initiatives to enable improved climate and disaster risk management.
Ms Gillian Smith
Coordinator Sustainability
Sunshine Coast Council
Building Regional Partnerships to Understand Cascading Climate Risks & Critical Infrastructure Failure at Local Scales
Abstract
Climate hazards do not respect organisational boundaries. The Sunshine Coast Regional Cascading Climate Risks and Critical Infrastructure (CI) Failure Project addresses the systemic vulnerability of local government services to CI failure driven by increasing extreme climate events. Enabled by a $1.1M Queensland Reconstruction Authority grant, the partnership project between Sunshine Coast and Noosa Councils moved beyond a standard risk assessment to map complex interdependencies across energy, water, telecommunications, and transport networks, unpacking how failures in these systems could impact Council services.
A formal governance framework was established, including an Executive Steering Group and Stakeholder Reference Group comprising national, state and regional level representation across 14 major agencies (including Energex, Telstra, Unitywater, NBN Co, Seqwater, and Queensland Police). While the initial aim was to identify risks to council services from cascading failures—such as power loss disabling water supply to a council-run place of refuge during a heatwave and drought—the partnership catalysed a broader systemic shift. It strengthened links between long-term capital planners, climate specialists and disaster management teams, breaking operational silos and enabling strategic risk reduction for both acute and chronic stressors. This has already informed policy and process changes, including developing multi-functional assets for vulnerable communities, creating a new asset screening process and improving council business continuity plans. Tangible on-ground benefits are emerging, such as coordinated early planning for the Bradman Avenue seawall renewal, where CI relocations require joint management.
A key lesson was the significant time needed to build effective partnerships. Progress was slowed by organisational complexity, governance processes and the need to carefully manage sensitive information to build trust. Participants highlighted that senior leadership endorsement is essential, as technical specialists alone cannot sustain cross-sector collaboration. This replicable approach shows how councils can build enduring partnerships that address root causes of risk and strengthen system-wide resilience.
A formal governance framework was established, including an Executive Steering Group and Stakeholder Reference Group comprising national, state and regional level representation across 14 major agencies (including Energex, Telstra, Unitywater, NBN Co, Seqwater, and Queensland Police). While the initial aim was to identify risks to council services from cascading failures—such as power loss disabling water supply to a council-run place of refuge during a heatwave and drought—the partnership catalysed a broader systemic shift. It strengthened links between long-term capital planners, climate specialists and disaster management teams, breaking operational silos and enabling strategic risk reduction for both acute and chronic stressors. This has already informed policy and process changes, including developing multi-functional assets for vulnerable communities, creating a new asset screening process and improving council business continuity plans. Tangible on-ground benefits are emerging, such as coordinated early planning for the Bradman Avenue seawall renewal, where CI relocations require joint management.
A key lesson was the significant time needed to build effective partnerships. Progress was slowed by organisational complexity, governance processes and the need to carefully manage sensitive information to build trust. Participants highlighted that senior leadership endorsement is essential, as technical specialists alone cannot sustain cross-sector collaboration. This replicable approach shows how councils can build enduring partnerships that address root causes of risk and strengthen system-wide resilience.
Biography
Gillian is a policy practitioner with a track record of turning complex strategy into practical, integrated action.
Across three decades in Australia and New Zealand, she has worked on some of the harder problems in public policy — water allocation, land contamination, First Nations economic development, and climate change mitigation and adaptation.
Her work has included designing the forestry components of New Zealand's Emissions Trading Scheme, leading the identification of land-based carbon abatement opportunities at the Queensland Office of Climate Change, and, as Coordinator Sustainability Policy at Sunshine Coast Council, translating sustainability and climate policy into on-ground delivery.
Key Sunshine Coast Council climate risk management projects include development of our Coastal Hazard Adaptation Strategy, Blue Heart Sunshine Coast, Workforce Physiological Heat Risk Response and our Climate Risk Management Partnerships with Noosa Council and the SEQ Climate Resilient Alliance (SEQCRA).
