On 9 May 2017, the Senate referred the following matters related to the Environment and Communications References Committee for inquiry and report by 23 November 2017:

The current and future impacts of climate change on housing, buildings and infrastructure, accounting for the full range of projected climate scenarios, having regard to matters, including:

    (a)   recent and projected changes in sea level rises, and storm surge intensity;

    (b)   recent and projected changes in temperature and precipitation;

    (c)   recent and projected changes in extreme weather, including heatwaves, bushfires, floods, and cyclones;

    (d)   recent and projected changes in natural coastal defence systems including coral reefs, kelp and mangrove forests;

    (e)   the impact of these changes on the vulnerability of infrastructure in coastal areas;

    (f)   the impact of these changes on water supply and sewage treatment systems;

    (g)  the impact of these changes on transportation, including railways, roads and airports;

    (h)  the impact of these changes on energy infrastructure, including generators and transmission and distribution lines;

    (i)   the impact of these changes on health, education and social services infrastructure, including hospitals, schools and aged care;

    (j)   the impact of these changes on private and public housing;

    (k)  the impact of these changes on public recreation and tourism facilities;

    (l)   the impact on financing and insurance arrangements for housing, buildings and infrastructure;

   (m)  the adequacy of current state and Commonwealth policies to assess, plan and implement adaptation plans and improved resilience of infrastructure; and

    (n)  any other related matters.