Maps on this page have been generated from Coastal Risk Australia's site which uses Google Earth Engine .
Maps show inundation levels at the highest tides based on the 0.84 metre sea level rise predicted in the 6th IPCC Assessment Report (2021) by 2100 without urgent deep reductions in greenhouse gas emissions
These maps make (very painfully) clear some of what Australia has to lose from sea level rise, and how important it is both to take serious action to minimise the amount of human-caused climate change, and to take seriously the need to adapt to the climate change we are unable to avoid.
If you need a larger version of any image just go to Coastal Risk Australia and type in the location to the search box.
Note the disclaimers on the site: these are predictions; reality may very well prove even worse without rapid climate action in Australia and internationally.
This page has some maps for major infrastructure, and then maps by Federal electorate.
Our own disclaimers: Images belong to Google and to Coastal Risk Australia. Please do advise of any possible errors, including where the maps need some interpretation. (For example, some maps on Coastal Risk Australia's site show blue across elevated railways or roads where local knowledge fairly clearly indicates this refers only to the land underneath; let us know if in error we may have included any infrastructure in this category as flooded).
Infrastructure
Airports | Roads | Rail | Ports
Federal Electorates
Bonner | Bowman | Brisbane | Capricornia | Dawson | Fadden | Fairfax | Fisher | Flynn | Forde | Griffith | Herbert | Hinkler | Kennedy | Leichhardt | Lilley | Longman | Macpherson | Moncrieff | Petrie | Wide Bay
Infrastructure
Airports
With 0.84 metres sea level rise Cairns airport would be completely flooded at high tides (in common with much of the rest of Cairns as seen later on this page):
Mackay airport would experience substantial flooding at high tides with 0.84 metres sea level rise, in common with access roads and surrounding homes:
Hamilton Island airport would also be largely flooded:
The runway at Townsville airport would be just above high tides with 0.84 metres sea level rise, but would be largely surrounded by water:
Runways at Sunshine Coast airport would remain just above high tides with 0.84 metres sea level rise, but access roads as well as local streets would be flooded:
The aerodrome at Redcliffe would be completely flooded:
The runway at Brisbane airport would have its centre just above the water, but its sides flooded at high tides with 0.84 metres sea level rise, as well as flooding affecting access in the area:
Gold Coast airport runway would remain just above high tides with 0.84 metres sea level rise, but access would be restricted including by flooding on the M1:
Roads
As noted above, the M1 where it dives under the runway at Gold Coast Airport would be exposed to flooding at high tides with 0.84 metres sea level rise. Here's a closer look:
The M1 would be exposed to flooding at Upper Coomera:
at Murarrie:
at Nudgee:
The Bruce Highway could be exposed to flooding including at Mackay:
and nearby at Bakers Creek:
and at Sandy Creek:
at Gunyarra near Proserpine:
at Alligator Creek near Townsville:
and at Townsville itself:
Rail
On the Gold Coast, 0.84 metres sea level rise would bring flooding at high tide to the rail line at Helensvale:
There could also be flooding of the rail line at some points further north such as at Bakers Creek near Mackay:
On the Redcliffe Peninsula line, 0.84 metres sea level rise would bring flooding at high tides at Rothwell (yes that's a railway station in the middle):
and at Kippa-Ring:
On the Shorncliffe line, 0.84 metres sea level rise would bring flooding at high tides at Nudgee:
and at Deagon:
On the Cleveland line, 0.84 metres sea level rise would bring flooding at high tides at Hemmant:
Ports
Rail access to the Port of Brisbane would be affected by many of the points of flooding at high tides on the Cleveland line indicated above. Once the port access line leaves the suburban network it would also be flooded by high tides with 0.84 metres sea level rise:
Road access would also be at risk in several locations including Hemmant:
Rail access to the Hay Point port would be very close to flooded at the bridge at Sarina:
Port Alma would be flooded including the port facilities and the salt evaporator:
Access to the Port of Townsville would be flooded at high tides:
At 0.84 metres sea level rise, some flooding at high tides would be experienced for the Port of Gladstone rail facilities (the port access road although showing blue on the map is elevated and would probably not be flooded at this level; but coal of course comes to the port by rail):
There would also be some flooding at the newer port facilities to the west of the town although at 0.84 metres sea level rise it appears this would not to be quite enough to block access:
Federal electorates
Bonner
0.84 metres sea level rise would mean substantial flooding of streets and properties at high tides in Hemmant:
in Tingalpa
in Wynnum
and some flooding in Manly
Bowman
0.84 metres sea level rise would bring flooding at high tides to streets and properties in Birkdale:
as well as some flooding in Cleveland
Thorneside
and Victoria Point
Brisbane
0.84 metres sea level rise would mean flooding of streets and properties at high tides in Albion
Bowen Hills
Milton
New Farm
Newstead
and Windsor
Capricornia
0.84 metres sea level rise would mean flooding of streets and properties at high tides in Yeppoon:
There would also be flooding at high tides at Kinka Beach
At Keppel Sands homes would be flooded at high tides, as well as access to the town via Keppel Sands Road:
Dawson
As shown earlier on this page, 0.84 metres sea level rise would mean flooding at high tides affecting access to the Port of Mackay and flooding of Mackay airport as well as several locations on the Bruce Highway.
There would also be substantial flooding in the township of Mackay:
0.84 metres sea level rise would also mean flooding at high tides in Bowen:
Fadden
0.84 metres of sea level rise would mean extensive flooding at high tides of streets and properties at Runaway Bay and Biggera Waters:
at Hope Island
at Labrador
at Paradise Point
and also widespread flooding at Steiglitz:
Fairfax
0.84 metres of sea level rise would mean flooding at high tides of streets and numerous properties at Maroochydore and Kulun
at Mudjimba, Twin Waters and Pacific Paradise
and would also flood the road and farmlands between Mudjimba and BliBli
Fisher
0.84 metres sea level rise would see flooding of many streets and properties at high tides at Mooloolaba:
and at Minyama
Golden Beach and Pelican Waters
as well as flooding some properties and cutting major access roads at Birtinya and near the new Sunshine Coast University Hospital complex
and flooding local streets and access roads at Currimundi:
Flynn
As shown earlier on this page 0.84 metres sea level rise would bring flooding at high tides affecting access to the port facilities at Gladstone. There would also be flooding of some streets and properties in the town:
Forde
As shown earlier on this page, with 0.84 metres sea level rise the M1 would be exposed to flooding at Upper Coomera at high tides.
0.84 metres sea level rise would also mean flooding of numerous rural properties and roads in Carbrook at high tides:
Griffith
0.84 metres sea level rise would bring flooding at high tides to some streets and properties in Bulimba and Morningside:
as well as in East Brisbane, Norman Park and Coorparoo
Herbert
Earlier on this page showed flooding at high tides with 0.84 metres sea level rise affecting the port and airport in Townsville. There would also be substantial flooding in the town itself:
Hinkler
Bundaberg would have only modest amounts of flooding of streets and properties at high tides with 0.84 metres of sea level rise but more extensive flooding would occur with any increases in sea level rise beyond that
At Burrum Heads 0.84 metres of sea level rise would bring significant flooding of properties and streets:
Kennedy
0.84 metres of sea level rise would bring some flooding at high tides to properties and local streets in Innisfail:
Leichhardt
As noted earlier on this page, 0.84 metres sea level rise would mean Cairns airport would be completely closed to international and domestic flights by flooding at high tides. Cairns itself would also experience very extensive flooding:
At Port Douglas there would be significant flooding of streets and properties at high tides with 0.84 metres sea level rise:
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Lilley
Earlier on this page we saw that 0.84 metres of sea level rise would bring flooding at high tides to major road links and the rail line in Nudgee. There would also be flooding of local streets and properties in Nudgee and at Eagle Farm as well as the flooding already discussed at Brisbane Airport:
0.84 metres of sea level rise would bring flooding at high tides to numerous properties at Brighton and Sandgate
and at Shorncliffe and Deagon
Longman
0.84 metres of sea level rise would bring flooding at high tides to streets and properties on several areas of Bribie Island:
as well as extensive flooding at Beachmere
at the northern end of Donnybrook
and in parts of Sandstone Point
Macpherson
0.84 metres sea level rise would bring widespread flooding at high tides of properties and streets in Currumbin
and Palm Beach
There would also be flooding of streets and parks near Merrimac
and flooding of streets and the rail line at Robina:
Moncrieff
0.84 metres sea level rise would bring widespread flooding at high tides of residential and commercial properties and streets in Southport
and in Surfers Paradise
as well as flooding of parks and reserves and roads, as well as the railway line, around Carrara:
Petrie
0.84 metres of sea level rise would see high tides flooding streets and numerous properties in Rothwell, Scarborough, Kippa-Ring and Clontarf:
There would also be flooding at high tides in Deception Bay
and in Griffin
Wide Bay
At Noosa Heads and particularly at Noosaville, 0.84 metres sea level rise would see extensive flooding at high tides.
There would also be flooding at high tides for some streets and a small number of properties in Tin Can Bay:
