A large number of the grounds used for cricket (and for other sports at other times) in the Newcastle district are at serious risk from sea level rise, which is being caused by climate change driven by excessive greenhouse gas emissions.

Global warming means warming oceans, and water expands as it warms. So, sea levels are rising - around 200mm last century and accelerating.

These assessments are based on the OzCoasts maps for Newcastle and the Central Coast. In most cases assessments are given here for 50cm and 1.1 metre sea level rise impacts. In a few instances assessments based on the maps for OzCoasts “middle” case of 80cm sea level rise are also provided.

So many low lying fields in the Newcastle area (along of course with other community infrastructure) reinforce the seriousness of climate change issues for this district and the urgency of real climate action.

Of course, many of these grounds are already exposed to flooding risk. But sea level rise will make flooding more frequent and more severe.

Note, too, that if carbon pollution continues unabated we may see even worse rises in sea level than OzCoasts has so far mapped.

• Atchison Reserve, Pelican: With 1.1 metre sea level rise the ground is just above water at high tides, although much of the surrounding area is submerged
• Ballast 1 and 2 , Stockton: Both grounds just avoid inundation with 50cm sea level rise; both would be inundated with 1.1metre sea level rise
• Chapman Oval, Swansea: the ground would experience significant inundation with 50 cm sea level rise; whole of ground with much of surrounding area would experience inundation with 1.1 metre sea level riseConnolly Park, Carrington: Substantial inundation with 1.1 metre sea level rise; ground just misses inundation with 50 cm sea level rise
• Douglass St Oval, Dora Creek:the ground experiences inundation of outer areas with 1.1 metre sea level rise
• The grounds at Toronto sports ground show as experiencing partial inundation with the impacts of 1.1 metres sea level rise
• Federal Park, Wallsend: Inundation of both (northern) synthetic pitches, and inundation of southern ground to close to the turf wicket would be experienced with 1.1 metre sea level rise; all 3 pitches are just above inundation level with 50cm sea level rise.
• Griffith Park Stockton: The ground experiences inundation with 1.1 metre sea level rise;  just avoids inundation with 50cm sea level rise
• John St Warners Bay: Ground experiences major areas of inundation for 1.1 metre sea level rise; is just above inundation level for 50 cm sea level rise
• The ground at Rathmines shows as having some of its area experiencing inundation with the impacts of 110 cm sea level rise
• Parbury Park, Swansea: The ground, together with many of surrounding streets, experiences inundation with 1.1 metre sea level rise; ground is just above inundation level for 50 cm sea level rise
• Pat Jordan Oval, Carrington: The whole ground experiences inundation with 1.1 metre sea level rise; substantial inundation is experienced with 50cm sea level rise.
• Wickham Park in Hamilton along with much of the surrounding area shows as inundated on OzCoasts map for impacts of 110 cm sea level rise
• Each of the grounds at National Park in Newcastle show substantial inundation with 110 cm sea level rise
• Quinn Park, Swansea: The ground experiences inundation with 1.1 metre sea level rise; ground is shown as above inundation level with 50 cm sea level rise
• Tighes Reserve, Tighes Hill: The ground would experience substantial inundation with 1.1 metre sea level rise. Inundation of edge of ground (a small ground with little if any surface to spare if still to be usable) would be experienced with 50 cm sea level rise
• Walters Park, Boolaroo: The ground would experience substantial inundation with 1.1metre sea level rise; partial inundation with 50 cm sea level rise
• Tulkaba Park in Teralba shows as fully inundated on the map for impacts of 110 cm sea level rise
• Water Board Memorial Oval, Blackalls Park: Major inundation is experienced with 1.1 metre sea level rise; minor intrusion at south-eastern boundary with 80cm sea level rise; shown as just above inundation level for 50 cm  sea level rise
• Hexham Park shows as completely inundated on OzCoasts map for the impacts of 110 cm sea level rise, together with most of the surrounding district (including the major rail and road links in the area)
• Birmingham Gardens Sports Club and Harold Myers park both show as fully inundated with 110 cm sea level rise
• The Waratah Golf Course shows as experiencing substantial inundation with 110 cm sea level rise.

Local Labor members Pat Conroy, Sharon Claydon and Jill Hall have all stood up for climate action.

• Jill Hall has pointed out that most of electricity price rises are because of State Liberal Governments including in NSW, not because of carbon pricing.
• As Pat Conroy said, in opposing Tony Abbott's attempts to reverse action on climate change including abolishing the Climate Change Authority and the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, "no other government in the world questions the science and no other Prime Minister calls the science 'crap'."
• As Sharon Claydon said in campaigning and in her maiden speech, Labor supports real action on climate change.

It's hard to work out from public statements what Bob Baldwin, member for Paterson, thinks about the science of climate change. But we do know which way he voted on climate action - the wrong way, with Tony Abbott.

• Some of the fields at the King Park sporting complex at Raymond Terrace are just above inundation level on OzCoasts map for the impacts of 11o cm sea level rise. The athletics field at the south west corner  isn't - it shows as fully inundated

• The Newcastle junior competitions also include kids from further north at Nelson Bay and Port Stephens. Their home grounds don't appear on OzCoasts map yet, and look slightly higher above sea level on Google Earth and other sources. But they won't be able to play as visitors at all those Newcastle grounds if the oceans are allowed to rise much higher.