Maps on this page have been generated from Coastal Risk Australia's site which uses Google Earth Engine .

Maps show inundation levels at high tide based on the 0.84 metre sea level rise predicted in the Sixth IPCC Assessment Report (2021) for 2100 unless there are rapid 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.

For each State we will be presenting maps showing impacts on major transport infrastructure, and then move on to show impacts by Federal electorate. 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 well prove worse without rapid climate action.

Our own disclaimers: Images belong to Google and to Coastal Risk Australia. Please advise of any errors in interpretation. (For example, some maps on Coastal Risk Australia's site show blue across elevated railways or roads where local knowledge indicates this refers only to the land or secondary roads underneath; let us know if in error we have listed any of these as flooded).

Infrastructure

Airports | Road | Rail | Ports

Federal electorates

Infrastructure

Airports

Sea level rise of 0.84 metres, predicted for this century, would see high tides flooding the northern part of Sydney airport as well as access roads (Marsh Street and Qantas Drive, together with small patches on the M5).

Similarly at Port Macquarie, part of the main runway and access roads would be flooded by high tides.

Ballina airport would be completely flooded by high tides.

At Taree airport high tides would come right up to the main runway and flood surrounding roads.

Lake Macquarie airport along with surrounding properties would be almost completely flooded by high tides with 0.84 metres sea level rise.

Merimbula airport would be completely flooded by high tides with 0.84 metres sea level rise.

Road

Pacific Highway

With 0.84 metres sea level rise, the Pacific Highway would be flooded by high tides in multiple locations. In some cases, recent expensive upgrades take the road just above the high tide; any more and the tide is back on the road.

Chinderah

Ballina

Broadwater

Maclean

Raleigh

Macksville

Port Macquarie

Kempsey

Taree

Hexham

Woolloomooloo

There would also be flooding at high tides affecting the Newcastle Inner City Bypass at Sandgate:

M5

As well as minor flooding near Sydney Airport appearing at high tides with 0.74 metres sea level rise, the M5 would be very close to, or exposed to, flooding in at least two locations at high tide: Riverwood

and Hammondville

Princes Highway

With 0.84 metres sea level rise there would also be risks of flooding at high tides on the Princes Highway, for example at Bombo:

and at Gerringong:

near Moruya:

Rail

0.84 metres sea level rise would bring flooding risk at high tide to several locations on the NSW rail network.

Sydney area

On the Sydney Trains network these include Riverwood on the Macarthur - Airport line:

On the South Coast there would be flooding risk at high tides for the rail line near Shellharbour:

On the NSW Central Coast, flooding shows on Coastal Risk Australia's maps for 0.84 metres sea level rise at Wondabyne on the line from Sydney to Gosford, Newcastle and north to Brisbane:

Boolaroo, also on the line from Sydney to Newcastle and north:

Sandgate to Hexham and almost to Tarro - cutting the north coast and north west lines including interstate freight and Hunter passenger and freight services:

Ports

The Coastal Risk Australia maps indicate that access routes to the ports of Sydney and Wollongong just miss being affected by flooding at high tides with 0.84 metres sea level rise. At the Port of Newcastle however, it would be a different story. As well as major regional rail and road routes leading to export facilities at Newcastle being affected by flooding (as shown earlier on this page), rail and road facilities within the Port of Newcastle itself would be flooded.

Kooragang Island

Tighes Hill

Carrington

Federal electorates

Banks

At 0.84 metres sea level rise some homes along the Georges River at East Hills would experience flooding at high tides:

and also at Picnic Point:

At Milperra there would be flooding of parklands and sports fields such as the Vale of Ah Reserve:

Barton

0.84 metres sea level rise would see some homes in Brighton-le-Sands, as well as local roads like Bestic Street, experience flooding at high tide

In Earlwood, Tempe, and Marrickville, local sports fields like Beaman Park, Gough Whitlam Park, Mahoney Park, Mackey Park and the Wills Ground rugby field would all be flooded from the Cooks River at high tide. So would local roads like Wardell Road, Bayview Avenue, Illawarra Road and Carrington Road.

In Wolli Creek, the Princes Highway and Marsh Street would both be flooded at high tide, together with some local streets and properties, Cahill Park and the golf course. Flooding would also threaten to close the M5 and the airport railway line.

0.84 metres sea level rise would see flooding at high tides in Monterey and Ramsgate not only for local parks such as Scarborough Park and for streets but also for some properties.

Properties as well as parks and streets would also experience flooding in San Souci.

Bennelong

0.84 metres sea level rise would see high tides starting to cause flooding of homes in Meadowbank, as well as inundation of sports fields like some of those at Meadowbank Park

and at Morrison Bay Park Putney and Bill Mitchell Park, Gladesville

Berowra

0.84 metres sea level rise would see high tides flooding some properties in Brooklyn and cutting off road access to most others with flooding at several places along Brooklyn Road.

Bradfield

With 0.84 metres sea level rise, high tides could flood Delhi Road where it crosses the Lane Cove River and could also cut Lady Game Drive.

Cook

0.84 metres sea level rise would see substantial flooding of properties and local streets (as well as sports fields and the athletics track) in Taren Point and Sylvania Waters at high tides:

There would also be flooding at high tides in Kurnell

and in Woolooware including much of Woolooware High School's grounds, onto the golf course and up to the gates of the Cronulla Rugby League Club home ground:

Cowper

Maps on infrastructure earlier on this page show infrastructure in Cowper including the Pacific Highway would be severely affected by 0.84 metres sea level rise. Here are some maps looking at towns in Cowper:

Nambucca Heads

Dobell

Berkeley Vale and Chittaway Bay would be badly affected by flooding at high tides with 0.84 metres sea level rise:

The Entrance would also experience substantial flooding at high tides:

There would be substantial numbers of properties affected by flooding at high tides with 0.84 metres sea level rise in Tacoma and Tacoma South:

at Long Jetty:

at Strathavon:

at Rocky Point:

at Killarney Vale

and at Blue Haven, with roads including the Pacific Highway also experiencing flooding:

Eden-Monaro

High tides with 0.74 metres sea level rise flooding Merimbula airport, and the Princes Highway has been discussed earlier on this page. Flooding at high tides would also affect roads and properties in Bermagui:

and in Pambula:

Gilmore

Flooding of the Princes Highway at several locations near Kiama was featured earlier on this page. Further south there would be extensive flooding at Burrill Lake

At Moruya as well as flooding of the Princes Highway there would be flooding of some local roads and properties at high tides with 0.74 metres sea level rise:

At Broulee and Mossy Point there would be flooding at high tides for some houses:

At Batemans Bay there would be extensive flooding affecting local roads and properties, with small sections of the highway north of the town also threatened by flooding:

With 0.84 metres sea level rise there would also be extensive flooding at high tides affecting properties and streets at Greenwell Point and Culburra

at Sussex Inlet

and at Sanctuary Point

Grayndler

At Lilyfield and Haberfield, 0.84 metres of sea level rise would see high tides flooding houses, and also cutting the City West Link in several places.

Not everyone would think of Marrickville as a coastal place. But 0.84 metres of sea level rise would see high tides flooding local roads - including Marrickville Road and Sydenham Road - and commercial and industrial properties, as well as sports grounds including Fraser Park.

Hughes

High tides threatening the M5 at Hammondville with 0.84 metres sea level rise has been discussed earlier on this page.

Some of Bundeena in the Royal National Park would also be flooded by high tides with 0.74 metres of sea level rise, and much of the remainder unreachable by road.

With 0.84 metres sea level rise there would be flooding at high tides in Kareela affecting the golf course and adjoining properties and streets:

in Como:

and in Oyster Bay:

In Woronora there would be flooding at high tides along the Woronora River as well as affecting River Road:

Hunter

Flooding at high tides with 0.84 metres sea level rise is discussed earlier on this page for the railway at Boolaroo (near Fassifern and Cockle Creek).

There would be flooding at high tides affecting properties on the foreshores at Morisett East:

and at Rathmines

There would be some flooding at high tides affecting some properties at Wyee Point as well as local roads:

0.74 metres sea level rise would mean flooding at high tides affecting properties and streets as well as sports fields in Toronto:

There would also be flooding of a substantial number of properties at Dora Creek:

Kingsford-Smith

Flooding at high tides with 0.74 metres sea level rise at Sydney airport together with surrounding roads has been discussed earlier on this page. There would also be flooding of some streets and properties in Botany:

Lyne

0.74 metres sea level rise would bring flooding at high tides to substantial numbers of properties in Forster:

and in Tuncurry:

Near Taree, substantial areas of farmland would be inundated by high tides with 0.74 metres of sea level rise. The M1 / Pacific Highway has been substantially upgraded in the area including with long elevated sections although Coastal Risk Australia maps still show some areas for concern.

Tea Gardens would experience substantial flooding of roads and properties.

Hawks Nest would also experience substantial flooding at high tides with 0.74 metres sea level rise.

Mackellar

0.84 metres sea level rise would also start to bring flooding at high tides for local streets and properties at Palm Beach:.

at Avalon:

0.84 metres sea level rise would see flooding of streets and properties as well as the local high school at high tides in North Narrabeen.

Pittwater High would be surrounded by water, and the prospects for golf on this and other local courses look very poor.

Pittwater Road around much of Church Point and Bayview would become impassable at high tides.

With 0.84 metre sea level rise, Whale Beach would see flooding at high tides on Barrenjoey Road and on a string of properties.

Newcastle

Earlier in this page featured sea level rise at high tides disrupting interstate, regional and local road and rail traffic at Hexham and the port facilities of Newcastle.

Here's what 0.84 metres sea level rise looks like at high tide in the streets and suburbs of a working class seat like Newcastle. Here's some reasons why climate action is a Labor issue.

North Sydney

Earlier on this page we presented the image of the M2 being partly flooded at the Lane Cove River crossing by high tides with 0.84 metres sea level rise.

There would also be flooding of some properties at Hunters Hill:

There would also be flooding at some local parks including Tunks Park at Northbridge, as well as adjoining roads.

Page

Earlier on this page we showed maps of 0.84 metres sea level rise bringing flooding at high tides for the Pacific Highway at Broadwater and Maclean.

At Woodburn at high tides there would be flooding of properties, including the local school, and roads including the road to Evans Head:

At Evans Head there would be flooding of properties and of local roads:

Local streets and properties would also experience flooding at Wardell:

at Yamba:

at Wooli:

and at Iluka:

Paterson

Earlier on this page we showed maps of 0.84 metres sea level rise bringing flooding at high tides for the main north railway and the Pacific Highway at Hexham, and the Highway at Raymond Terrace. Here's a closer look at flooding at Tomago:

Another view of Raymond Terrace shows flooding of local streets and properties:

Port Stephens would experience flooding of streets and properties at high tides with 0.74 metres of sea level rise:

and there would also be flooding at high tides affecting some foreshore buildings in Nelson Bay:

Lemon Tree Passage would experience flooding of local roads and properties:

and would also be cut off by flooding of Lemon Tree Passage Road:

Reid

In Rodd Point 0.84 metres sea level rise would see high tides flooding Timbrell Park and Henley Marine Drive as well as starting to encroach on some properties:

In Chiswick there would be flooding at high tides on several streets and some of Lysaght Park and all of Russell Park:

In Drummoyne there would be flooding at high tides affecting some foreshore properties as well as some streets and parks and reserves:

In Fivedock flooding at high tides would affect roads including Lyons Road and Queen Street, homes and other properties, and reserves including the golf course:

In Cabarita 0.74 metres sea level rise would mean flooding at high tides affecting a number of homes as well as several streets and the golf course:

There would also be flooding at high tides affecting a number of properties and streets in North Strathfield :

and at Concord West:

Richmond

Earlier on this page we showed high tides with 0.84 metres of sea level rise flooding the Pacific Highway at Ballina, Brunswick Heads, Ocean Shores and Tweed Heads. Here are some more views showing impacts on north coast towns:

Ballina

Brunswick Heads

Ocean Shores

Tweed Heads

Hastings Point

Byron Bay

Murwillumbah

Robertson

As seen in the image below, high tides with 0.84 metres sea level rise would bring flooding to properties in Gosford and to streets including the Central Coast Highway. Flooding can also be seen up to the entrances of the Central Coast Stadium. There would also be flooding affecting streets and properties in Point Clare.

High tides with 0.84 metres sea level rise would bring flooding to substantial areas of Woy Woy and to streets including Brisbane Water Drive.

There would also be flooding affecting properties in Saratoga

in Empire Bay

St Huberts Island

and Kincumber

In Erina there would be flooding of parks and reserves and some streets and properties:

0.84 metres sea level rise would also mean flooding at high tides in Patonga affecting a substantial proportion of properties:

There would also be flooding at high tides at Lower Mangrove affecting some properties and also Wisemans Ferry Road:

Shortland

Earlier on this page showed high tides with 0.84 metres of sea level rise bringing flooding to the railway as well as streets and properties at Boolaroo. There would also be substantial flooding of streets and properties at Belmont:

and also at Swansea and Blacksmiths:

at Budgewoi

at Eelabana

at Warners Bay

along the shores at Chain Valley Bay

and at San Remo

Sydney

0.74 metres sea level rise would see high tides flooding streets in Wooloomoloo, from Cowper Wharf Road to Harmer Street and from Bourke Street to Dowling Street. As can be seen below, flooding also intrudes onto the commencement of the M1.

0.74 metres sea level rise predicted this century would also bring flooding at high tide to much of the harbour facing side of the Royal Botanic Gardens:

There would also be flooding on Wattle Street, Wentworth Road, and Bridge Road at high tides in Glebe:

Flooding at high tide in Glebe would also affect traffic on The Crescent as well as some local properties and Jubilee Park:

Warringah

At high tides with 0.74 metres sea level rise, flooding would close Pittwater Road at Queenscliff, as well as affecting some properties and several sports grounds and golf courses at Manly Vale.