An Adelaide University project has provided the city’s seaside suburbs with a practical blueprint for building more resilient road corridors to withstand extreme heat and localized flooding.
Image Credit: Adelaide University
Using the city of Holdfast Bay as a case study, researchers have evaluated the vulnerability of its roads and associated infrastructure, assessing how climate-related events are likely to impact residents.
The project examined four critical areas: road surfaces, road sub-bases, urban trees and transport networks, assessing potential risks under future climate scenarios.
Lead researcher Professor Holger Maier from the School of Civil Engineering and Construction Management said councils across Australia are increasingly facing tough decisions about how to manage infrastructure in a changing climate.
“Local governments are on the frontline of climate adaptation because they own and manage much of the infrastructure that communities rely on every day,” Prof Maier said.
“Our research provides a practical, evidence-based way to understand where climate risks are most significant, how those risks may change over time, and what actions can be taken now to improve resilience.”
The Adelaide University team combined climate hazard data with asset exposure and vulnerability modeling to evaluate current and future risks across a portion of Holdfast Bay’s road corridor network, in Brighton.
The analysis showed how factors such as increasing temperatures, changing rainfall patterns and traffic growth could affect road rutting, flood damage, tree suitability and the attractiveness of walking and cycling routes.
“The City of Holdfast Bay is proactively planning for future climate conditions, using this research to inform future planning for our road network,” said City of Holdfast Bay Mayor Amanda Wilson.
“Road corridors are much more than roads,” Prof Maier said.
“They are interconnected systems that include pavements, drainage infrastructure, vegetation and transport networks. Understanding how these elements interact is critical if we want to make smart, long-term investment decisions.”
Local roads comprise around 77% of the national road network, making up 38% of total local government infrastructure, according to the 2024 National State of the Assets (NSoA) report.
The Adelaide University team explored how different strategies could reduce climate-related risks, including the use of alternative road materials that better withstand heat, increasing tree canopy cover to provide shade and reduce surface temperatures, and targeted interventions to address vulnerable locations.
The findings contributed to the development of a Resilience Investment Case for the City of Holdfast Bay, helping the council to evaluate the costs and benefits of different infrastructure investment options.
Prof Maier said one of the project’s most important outcomes was demonstrating that resilience is not only a technical challenge but also an organizational one.
“Building climate resilience requires more than better data and modeling,” he said.
The research will benefit not only Holdfast Bay but also neighboring councils, including Marion, Mitcham and Onkaparinga.
“Many Australian councils face similar challenges. By combining climate science, infrastructure expertise and practical decision-support tools, this project shows how local governments can take proactive steps to protect assets, maintain essential services and deliver better long-term outcomes for their communities.”
The research formed part of the Enhanced Resilient Asset Delivery (ERAD) project, led by CSIRO in partnership with Adelaide University and Value Advisory Partners, and funded through the Australian Government’s Disaster Ready Fund.
More details about the project can be found here.