Table 4.1: Local government functions and possible climate change outcomes

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Function	Affected assets or activities	Key climate influences	Possible effects	Section in Table 4.2 giving type/explanation of effects
Water supply and irrigation	Infrastructure	Reduced rainfall, extreme rainfall events, and increased temperature	Reduced security of supply (depending on water source) Contamination of water supply	See Rivers, Groundwater, Water quality, Water availability, Coastal areas. (Note that there are also rainfall effects in areas dependent on rain water.)
Wastewater	Infrastructure	Increased rainfall	More intense rainfall (extreme events) will cause more inflow and infiltration into the wastewater network. Wet weather overflow events will increase in frequency and volume Longer dry spells will increase the likelihood of blockages and related dry weather overflows	See Drainage
Stormwater	Reticulation Stopbanks	Increased rainfall Sea-level rise	Increased frequency and/or volume of system flooding Increased peak flows in streams and related erosion Groundwater level changes Saltwater intrusion in coastal zones Changing flood plains and greater likelihood of damage to properties and infrastructure	See Rivers, Drainage, Coastal areas
Roading	Road network and associated infrastructure (power, telecommunications, drainage)	Extreme rainfall events, extreme winds, high temperatures	Disruption due to flooding, landslides, fallen trees and lines Direct effects of wind exposure on heavy vehicles Melting of tar	See Drainage, Natural hazards
Planning/ policy development	Management of development in the private sector Expansion of urban areas Infrastructure and communications planning	All	Inappropriate location of urban expansion areas Inadequate or inappropriate infrastructure, costly retrofitting of systems	See particularly Rivers, Groundwater, Drainage, Coastal areas, Natural hazards
Land management	Rural land management	Changes in rainfall, wind, and temperature	Enhanced erosion Changes in type/distribution of pest species Increased fire risk Reduction in water availability for irrigation Changes in appropriate land use Changes in evapo-transpiration	See Water availability, Erosion, Biodiversity, Biosecurity, Natural hazards
Water management	Management of watercourses/lakes/ wetlands	Changes in rainfall and temperature	More variation in water volumes possible Reduced water quality Sedimentation and weed growth Changes in type/distribution of pest species	See Rivers, Lakes, Wetlands, Water quality, Drainage, Erosion, Biosecurity
Coastal management	Infrastructure Management of coastal development	Temperature changes leading to sea-level changes Extreme storm events	Coastal erosion and flooding Disruption in roading, communications Loss of private property and community assets Effects on water quality	See Coastal areas, Natural hazards
Civil defence and emergency management	Emergency planning and response, and recovery operations	Extreme events	Greater risks to public safety, and resources needed to manage flood, rural fire, landslip and storm events	See Natural hazards
Biosecurity	Pest management	Temperature and rainfall changes	Changes in range of pest species	See Biosecurity, Biodiversity
Open space and community facilities management	Planning and management of parks, playing fields and urban open spaces	Temperature and rainfall changes Extreme wind and rainfall events	Changes/reduction in water availability Changes in biodiversity Changes in type/distribution of pest species Groundwater changes Saltwater intrusion in coastal zones Need for more shelter in urban spaces	See Groundwater, Drainage, Water availability, Biodiversity, Coastal areas
Transport	Management of public transport Provision of footpaths, cycleways, etc.	Changes in temperatures, wind and rainfall	Changed maintenance needs for public transport (road, rail) infrastructure Disruption due to extreme events	See Drainage, Natural hazards
Waste management	Transfer stations and landfills	Changes in rainfall and temperature	Increased surface flooding risk Biosecurity changes Changes in ground water level and leaching	See Biosecurity, Natural hazards
Energy	Transmission lines	Extreme wind, high temperatures	Outages from damaged lines	See Natural hazards

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