GCWA hosts the city’s first ever Resilience Symposium: Gold Coast Waterways 2017 and Beyond
Gold Coast Waterways Authority (GCWA) recognises that the existing values the community places on Gold Coast waterways will be challenged in the future through population growth, a changing climate and other pressures. This acknowledgement led to the development of GCWA’s draft Resilience Plan.
The GCWA was proud to lead the first-ever conversation with the people of the Gold Coast on the long-term future of our waterways ‘Gold Coast Waterways 2017 and Beyond’ was held on the 22nd May 2017 and hosted close to 200 participants from industry, academia, community and business.
We were delighted to welcome a number of key agency speakers including keynote speaker Susanne M. Torriente, Chief Resilience Officer from the City of Miami Beach:
- David Jenkins, Director, Investment Grade Originations
- Emma Herd, CEO, Investor Group on Climate Change
- Professor Rodger Tomlinson Griffith University
- Jeff Callaghan Retired Senior Forecaster, Bureau of Meterology
- Dr Richard Fuller Associate Professor in conservation and biodiversity, University of Queensland
- Dr David Rissik Dep. Director, National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility, Griffith University
- Dr Kylie Pitt Associate Prof., Griffith School of Environment
- Dr Mark Gibbs Director, Knowledge to Innovation Institute for Future Environments, IFE Directorate, Queensland University of Technology
- Jim Binney Natural Capital Economics
- Naomi Edwards, Griffith University
How would the Gold Coast bounce back from a major weather event such as extreme flooding or a hurricane? What about an event twice the size of ex-tropical Cyclone Debbie? As a water city, we’d all be impacted. Susy addressed lessons from Miami, in particular how Florida coastal cities are building resilience. In the lead up to our resilience symposium, Susy chatted with ABC Gold Coast about what the Gold Coast can learn from the Miami experience.
The full program, which includes detailed information about our speakers, can be accessed here: Program: Gold Coast Waterways 2017 & Beyond
Outcomes from the day will assist in sculpting the Resilience Plan which is expected to go out for public consultation later in 2017.
Event photos
Photo credit: Elise Strålberg, Griffith University and Nicole Munro, GCWA
