Heritage and Climate Change Project

The Heritage and Climate Change Project Stage 2 was commissioned by the Heritage Council of Victoria, in partnership with Heritage Victoria, to support the protection and management of Victoria’s cultural heritage places and objects from the impacts of climate change.

Multiple stakeholders were consulted to develop 10 climate change case studies representing a diverse cross section of Victoria’s built, landscape, and archaeological places currently at risk due to climate change. The case studies drew on the six principles and vulnerability assessment framework devised in Stage 1 of the project, highlighting the present and future impacts of climate change these heritage places. Key existing and potential management strategies for developing climate resilience at each place were outlined.

In developing these case studies, GML Heritage’s team collaborated with external technical experts, David Young, a heritage consultant specialising in building materials conservation, and maritime archaeologist Geoff Hewitt.

Key messages that emerged during the consultations and analysis of notable local, national, and global heritage and climate documents informed a prioritised policy and guidance framework for the Heritage Council and Heritage Victoria.

A package for public communication, distilling the Heritage Council’s strategic climate change position and the outcomes of Stages 1 and 2 of the project was also prepared.

The climate change resources, including the ten case studies, were released by the Heritage Council of Victoria in June 2023. Visit their website to access the resources.

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