This Backcast Report provides the background, context and physical evidence base to inform the Forecast. The Forecast includes significant stakeholder engagement and development of the new ReCAP to 2030. 

Here is a one page summary of the Backcast Report.

Extensive stakeholder engagement was undertaken in mid 2024 to help develop the Plan. You can view the Engagement Report that helped inform the Plan.

Our first Regional Climate Change Adaptation Plan was developed by regional partners with significant input from community, business, government, industry and academia over a two-year period. It was launched in December 2016 and is superseded by our ReCAP 2025-2030.

The Plan reflects community values and identifies priority actions to reduce the vulnerability of those values to climate risks.

Thank you to everyone who contributed time and expertise to develop this plan. 

• Mayor’s Foreword

• Two-Page Snapshot

• Adaptation Plan

In 2020, we evaluated our progress against our Adaptation Plan and refocused our efforts to where we can make the most impact. Our priorities for action were:

• Climate-ready development:

• Climate risk reduction:

• Resilient agriculture:

This Action Plan was reviewed and endorsed on 8 April 2022.

Highlights of our Annual Report 2017-2018 include:

• establishing our steering committee;

• 13 community engagement workshops;

• completion of a regional vulnerability assessment;

• development of our Regional Climate Adaptation Plan;

• signing of our regional sector agreement; and more.

The Regional Sector Agreement requires our Committee to produce an annual report for all signatories.

Highlights of the Annual Report for 2021-22 include:

• recipient of a $100,000 Preparing Australian Communities grant for our Bushfire & Biodiversity project. The purpose of this is to better understand the latest knowledge and best practice, and, map the next steps for the region to build balanced bushfire and biodiversity resilience (2022);

• held two Climate Smart Farming Forums (2021 – 2022); and

• secured funding to reinstate a RH&C Coordinator (December 2021).

Some highlights of our Annual Report 2022-2023 include:

• Completed our Bushfire and Biodiversity project to better understand the latest knowledge and best practice, and develop next steps for our region to balance bushfire and biodiversity resilience.

• In partnership with Resilient East, AdaptWest and Resilient South, we co-invested in a series of Sustainable Homes Expert Webinars.

• Continued engagement in the cross-sectoral Resilient Housing Community of Practice to build momentum, knowledge sharing and networking, and to scope practical collaborative projects. 

• Advocated for climate ready improvements to the SA planning system, by contributing to an LGA presentation to Cabinet and making submissions.

• Supported the inaugural Fleurieu AgFest which showcased agricultural career pathways and the latest practice and technologies. 

• Created our first ever RH&C website (thanks for being here!) and refreshed our branding.

Our Annual Report 2023-24 reflects back on the year, our achievements, challenges and opportunities for the future. It shows the value of collaboration, and the importance of adapting together.

Highlights include:

• launching our Homes for Tomorrow project, encouraging sustainable built homes, particularly in growth areas;

• leading a successful statewide $1.7M funding bid for the Carbon Farming Outreach Program, to support farmers and land managers to reduce and store carbon emissions;

• refreshing our brand and creating our first standalone website (thanks for visiting!);

• winning the NGAA Partnerships & Building Connections Award (2023);

• delivering the Sustainable Homes Expert Webinar series in collaboration with three other Regional Climate Partnerships regions; and

• co-investing in the My Cool Home tool, to empower people to get climate ready at home.

Our Annual Report 2024-25 reflects our achievements, challenges and opportunities for the future. It shows the value of collaboration, and the importance of adapting together.

Highlights include:

• Renewing our five-year Sector Agreement at a formal ceremony in February 2025 at the Laratinga Pavilion in Mount Barker with former Deputy Premier and Minister for Climate, Environment and Water, the Hon. Susan Close MP, and signatories of the agreement.

• Launching our new Regional Climate Action Plan 2025-2030.

• Developing our two-year Activity Plan 2025-2027.

• Completing a Backcast Review which looked at background, context and physical evidence, and included significant stakeholder engagement to inform the development of our Regional Climate Action Plan (2025-2030).

• Launching the Homes for Tomorrow campaign - a peer-to-peer marketing campaign encouraging consumers to build sustainable homes in growth areas.

• Rolling out climate risk training (developed by LGASA) to Elected Members to raise awareness about climate risk and the need to embed climate-readiness into council business.

• Supporting the Fleurieu Youth Climate Summits.

Our priority actions for the next two years are summarised on our one-page Activity Plan 2025-2027.