10 | Environment & Energy It is likely that by 2030, the majority of South Australia’s energy needs will be met by renewable energies, solar and wind power in particular.
This will almost certainly not be enough to halt localised effects of climate change, and the city could be forced to create a new defence line against flooding, including flood barriers and sacrificial zones around the waterfronts. The effects of climate change could be a major driver in how the ports work as they potentially lose land and/or be required to elevate or relocate elsewhere. Customers and stakeholders identified this as a key concern for the future of the ports across all areas of the state. Ongoing consideration of asset exposure to climate variables such as sea level rise, increased and prolonged heat and ocean acidification, for instance, must be made to ensure that the growing maintenance and repair costs to existing infrastructure as a result of natural occurrences can be met. In some instances, it may be more appropriate to build new infrastructure to suit the changed environment.
