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Cover of Identifying and Prioritising Climate Adaptation Actions for Transport Assets
Identifying and Prioritising Climate Adaptation Actions for Transport Assets
  • Publication no: AP-R775-26
  • ISBN: 978-1-923617-70-4
  • Published: 1 September 2026

This report presents clear and consistent resource to support the identification, prioritisation and deployment of climate adaptation actions for transportation assets and services across Australia and New Zealand. Transport agencies are increasingly concerned about the impact of climate change on their assets and services and the rising costs of adaptation and recovery, but there is limited practical guidance on how to assess and prioritise adaptation actions in a consistent and defensible way.

The report is informed by a literature review and stakeholder engagement to understand current practice, gaps and user needs. These insights have been used to develop the Adaptation Action Prioritisation Methodology (AAPM), a structured process for identifying, assessing and prioritising adaptation actions at early decision-making.

The AAPM is supported by the Library of Adaptation Actions (LoAA) – a database of proven adaptation measures – and researched parameter values, which provide proxy values to help translate costs and impacts into economic terms where data is limited.

The AAPM and supporting resources provide a comprehensive and transparent basis for considering adaptation value in transport investments. They support robust and informed decision‑making and will enable better value‑for‑money outcomes.

Download the Library of Adaptation Actions (LoAA) [Excel | 3.10 MB].

  • 1. Introduction
    • 1.1 Context
    • 1.2 Purpose and objectives
    • 1.3 Scope
      • 1.3.1 Assumptions and limitations
    • 1.4 Intended users
    • 1.5 Report structure
  • 2. Research Methodology
    • 2.1 Approach
    • 2.2 Literature review
    • 2.3 Stakeholder engagement
    • 2.4 Developing the LoAA
    • 2.5 Developing the researched parameter values
  • 3. Literature Review
    • 3.1 Why evaluate climate resilience actions?
      • 3.1.1 Key challenges in evaluating climate resilience actions
      • 3.1.2 Gaps in evaluating and prioritising climate resilience in investment decisions
    • 3.2 Existing guidance for evaluating climate resilience in investment decision-making
    • 3.3 Identification and appraisal process for adaptation options
  • 4. Adaptation Action Prioritisation Methodology Overview
    • 4.1 Introduction
    • 4.2 Why an MCA approach?
      • 4.2.1 How MCA responds to climate adaptation specific challenges
    • 4.3 Application of AAPM in the investment lifecycle
    • 4.4 Before using the AAPM (pre-work)
  • 5. Adaptation Action Prioritisation Methodology Details
    • 5.1 Step 1: Identify adaptation options
    • 5.2 Step 2: Assess options
      • 5.2.1 Overview of the MCA criteria
      • 5.2.2 Assessment approach for MCA criteria
    • 5.3 Step 3: Apply weighting profiles and calculate scores
      • 5.3.1 Overview of weighting approach
      • 5.3.2 Choosing and applying weightings
      • 5.3.3 Calculating MCA score
    • 5.4 Step 4: Interpret results and review trade-offs
    • 5.5 Step 5: Select preferred options
    • 5.6 Step 6: Deploy
  • 6. Library of Adaptation Actions – Supporting Resource
    • 6.1 Introduction
    • 6.2 How to use the LoAA
    • 6.3 Integration with the MCA scoring matrix
    • 6.4 How to update the LoAA
  • 7. Researched Parameter Values – Supporting Resource
    • 7.1 Introduction
    • 7.2 General appraisal assumptions
    • 7.3 Parameter values
      • 7.3.1 Costs
      • 7.3.2 Benefits
    • 7.4 Using proxy values
    • 7.5 Data gaps and areas for further study
  • 8. Conclusion and Recommendations
    • 8.1 Conclusion
    • 8.2 Recommendations
    • 8.3 Recommended next steps
  • References
  • Appendix A Stakeholder Engagement
    • A.1 Engagement activities
    • A.2 Approach to PCG engagement
    • A.3 Summary of key feedback from PCG
    • A.4 Approach to external stakeholder consultation
      • A.4.1 Semi-structured interview questions
    • A.5 Summary of key findings
  • Appendix B How the LoAA Was Developed
  • Appendix C How the Parameter Values Were Collated
  • Appendix D Approaches to Adaptation Planning Overview
    • D.1 Overview of climate adaptation frameworks
    • D.2 Adaptation planning process
  • Appendix E Approach to Development of MCA Criteria
  • Appendix F Full MCA Matrix
  • Appendix G Worked AAPM Fictional Example
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