Latest Climate Change Data Equips NSW to Face Future Heat Challenges

The NSW Government has released updated climate change projections designed to help governments, agencies, businesses, landholders, and communities plan and adapt to the future climate. These projections underscore the urgency for further action to reduce emissions and emphasize the need for informed planning to enhance the resilience of households, communities, and businesses against the impacts of climate change, including extreme weather events.

The third iteration of the NSW and Australian Regional Climate Modelling (NARCliM) offers detailed forecasts for NSW, based on global emissions scenarios. Previous versions were released in 2014 (NARCliM 1.0) and 2021 (NARCliM 1.5). The updated projections, available at a fine (4km) scale for southeast Australia and a coarser (20km) scale over Australasia, are among the most detailed climate data available in the country.

NARCliM 2.0 predicts that by 2100, NSW can expect:

• Increased average temperatures across all regions, with the most significant rises occurring inland,
• More hot days exceeding 35°C in all parts of the state,
• Fewer cold nights below 2°C, particularly along the Great Dividing Range, and
• An increase in extreme weather events, including more severe fire weather days across NSW by 2050.

The updated data models two greenhouse gas emissions scenarios, projecting the future climate in NSW under each. For the first time, NARCliM provides low emissions scenario projections, highlighting the benefits of achieving the Paris Agreement targets. By 2090, under a low emissions scenario, temperatures are expected to rise by an additional 1.3°C, with up to 15 more days each year exceeding 35°C. Under a high emissions scenario, temperatures could rise by an additional 4°C, with up to 45 more days above 35°C annually.

These projections illustrate the critical need for continued efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as failing to do so will exacerbate the impacts of climate change on health, the environment, and the economy.

The NARCliM projections provide robust, reliable data about NSW’s future climate, which will be instrumental in informing risk assessments, planning, and research aimed at enhancing climate resilience.

This data reinforces the Minns Labor Government’s commitment to making climate change action a priority across all government sectors, enshrining emissions reduction targets in law, and legislating an adaptation objective to ensure NSW becomes more resilient to a changing climate.

The NARCliM climate projections are developed by the NSW Government in collaboration with the ACT, South Australian, Victorian, and Western Australian governments, National Computational Infrastructure, Murdoch University, and the University of NSW. This update is part of the NSW Government’s broader commitment under the NSW Climate Change Adaptation Strategy.

Statewide and regional NARCliM projections are available online at NSW Climate Change Projections. 

Quote from Minister for Climate Change and the Environment, Penny Sharpe

“The data presents us with two clear choices: do nothing and lock in more extreme weather events, or take action now to reduce emissions and limit the damage. We can’t plan for the future without the best data, and that’s what NARCliM provides. Government agencies, businesses, farmers, and local decision-makers can now access these updated climate projections to make informed decisions on how to prepare for a changing climate.

This data will be crucial in protecting critical infrastructure, including hospitals, transport networks, dams, and energy systems, from the impacts of extreme heat, fires, and floods. The Minns Labor Government is committed to taking strong action on climate change to reduce emissions, enhance the resilience of our communities and environment, and ensure our economy remains strong, robust, and supported by local, secure jobs.”

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From Near Death to Thriving:

By Sarah Waters

The Northern Rivers Koala Hospital in Lismore recently shared a heart-warming story about a very young koala joey, named Hobi, which came into its care.

Discovered cold and alone under a bush, Hobi was taken to the Northern Rivers Koala Hospital in February this year.

The hospital’s veterinary team were initially concerned about the young joey’s chances of survival.

He weighed a mere 700 grams upon arrival and was suffering shock from exposure.

Veterinary Clinical & Research Director at Friends of the Koala Dr Jodie Wakeman said Hobi could barely sit up, was very dehydrated, had an erratic heartbeat, abnormal head and eye movements and his body temperature was so low that a reading did not register on the thermometer.

“Hobi surprised us all – with some medications, fluids, intensive care in a humidicrib and lots of TLC, he slowly improved over the next few days,” Dr Wakeman said.

“It wasn’t long before Hobi was eating leaves and starting to move around,” she said.

Hobi defied the odds and in the week’s that followed he gradually became stronger and stronger.

Hobi’s early days in home care

His heart rate settled, his body temperature and hydration normalised, and his metabolic and neurological problems disappeared.

After two months in intensive home care with Joey Care Coordinator and part time vet nurse Liz McLeod, Hobi progressed to Koala Kindy and is now undergoing his rewilding journey.

At Koala Kindy, run by Friends of the Koala, Hobi will learn how to feed himself, climb and interact with other koalas, before eventually being released back to the wild.

Dr Wakeman said Hobi was the ‘little miracle koala for the year.’

“We are so pleased to see him thriving and so proud of our veterinary and volunteer teams that help to save koalas like him,” she said.

Joey koalas rely on the care of their mother from birth to about 18 months of age.

At the Koala kindy, trained volunteer koala carers will continue to give joeys supplement milk once or twice a day, administer medications, visually assess their health and weigh them regularly.

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Northern Rivers Koala Hospital needs funding: Urgent appeal for support

By Sarah Waters

Koalas are becoming an increasingly rare sight in NSW and the one organisation that is dedicated solely to their care in the Northern Rivers is desperately trying to keep operating as normal.

The Northern Rivers Koala Hospital, operated by Friends of the Koala, has made an urgent plea for financial support.

A decline in donations and available funding has threatened the hospital’s ability to operate effectively.

The hospital is specifically designed for the medical treatment of koalas and is the only wildlife hospital in NSW licensed to vaccinate all treated koalas against Chlamydia – the number one cause of death for koalas in the Northern Rivers.

General manager of Friends of the Koala Silva Everaers said more than 350 Koalas are treated at the hospital each year.

“From July last year we’ve seen a 20 per cent increase in koalas coming in, versus the year before,” Ms Everaers said.

“It will continue to increase as the threats to koalas are increasing with climate change, natural disasters, habitat being destroyed causing more koalas on the road, which leads to car hits, dog attacks and more diseases due to stress.

“So that’s obviously concerning, and it has been really, really busy for our volunteers rescuing and caring for them,” she said.

The Northern Rivers Koala Hospital was formed in 2019 and is part of the wider Friends of the Koala (FOK) organisation.

The FOK organisation receives government grants for certain projects including a recent grant to vaccinate 300 koalas against chlamydia.

But no government money is received for the operational cost of the koala hospital.

General Manager of Friends of the Koala Silva Everaers

Half a million dollars needs to be raised by Friends of the Koala each year to cover the hospital’s annual operating expenses.

It is set up with diagnostic and treatment tools including ultrasounds, x-rays, a blood bank, as well as surgical and pathology equipment to provide specialised 24/7 veterinary care to koalas.

Until more funds become available the hospital may not be able to continue in its current capacity.

Ms Everaers said the priority was to keep the hospital funded and veterinary staff paid.

“That really is where the research and the magic happens,” she said.

“We work with over 300 volunteers, who do an absolutely incredible job rescuing and rehabilitating the koalas treated in our hospital, and because of that we are able to keep operational costs really, really low.

“But we can’t do it without financial support, in the end, there’s medicine, veterinary staff, the equipment we need, research facilities – it’s not free.”

Friends of the Koala have set up a special donation drive, appealing to the public’s generosity to help keep the hospital in operation and maintain their high standards of care.

Anyone with a heart for wildlife, including business owners and philanthropists, can become a ‘Friend of the Northern Rivers Koala Hospital’ at: friendsofthekoala.org or support by donating to the organisation.

Friends of the Koala are a grassroots organisation with more than 35 years of experience working on critical, on-the-ground activities to conserve habitat and protect koalas individually and as a species.

It originated as a charity focused on planting trees but has evolved into a multifaceted organisation that also provides 24/7 koala rescue, medical treatment, research, advocacy and community education.

Friends of the Koala has successfully rehabilitated and released over 2000 koalas back into the wild since its inception.

The Northern Rivers is home to one of the last significant, genetically diverse koala populations.

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