Leisure and recreation planners need to take more decisive action on climate and weather change

Independent research undertaken by respected leisure and recreation planning consultant, Dr Ken Marriott, argues that that leisure and recreation planners are not taking a sufficiently pro-active approach to addressing climate change and the consequent dramatic and often unpredictable weather change and extreme weather events that this now causes on a regular basis.

Dr Marriott has released an extensive research paper on the actions that leisure and recreation planners and providers need to be taking to address the issues in a structured, comprehensive and effective manner.

The paper’s release follows last month’s publication of 2021 IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) 6th Assessment Report which charts with increasing accuracy the unprecedented and accelerating climate change and its impacts on the earth.

Echoing the IPCC call that “every fraction of a degree matters”, Dr Marriott’s report provides an overview of and “primer” on the extent of the changes that are occurring.

The paper provides a comprehensive review and discussion of climate and weather change including detailed analyses of eight international and Australian research papers critical to understanding the catastrophic threats posed by climate change.

The paper also reviews and evaluates the initiatives taken by a sample of Australian local government authorities to date, a review which finds a lack of concerted action by planners. The report provides a draft six-step model for action by leisure and recreation planners and providers together with specific guidance on some of the actions that need to be taken to mitigate climate change, to adapt existing facilities, programs and services to climate and weather change and, as far as possible, to avoid future impacts.

Dr Marriott (pictured) sees the six-step model and the specific actions recommended in it as being “very much a work in progress” and invites responses, feedback, additional action lists and case studies that can be shared across the leisure planning industry.

A summary of Dr Marriott’s paper will be published in Australasian Leisure Management issue 146.

Click here to read the full report or contact Dr Marriott to access a no cost pdf of the report by emailing: ken.marriott@hmleisureplanning.com