What might life in the Huon Valley look like in 2070? On 17 July 2025, Council staff, neighbouring councils and community members came together at the Huon Valley Town Hall to imagine just that. Now we’re excited to share the stories that came out of the day.
Liveable Climate Futures: Our stories of resilience in a changing world is a collection of illustrated and written stories set in the Huon Valley over the next 45 years. They’re rooted in climate science and shaped by local voices.
About the workshop
The Future Climate Scenarios Workshop was a one-day session that used storytelling, rather than forecasting, to explore how our region might change. Participants looked at likely climate impacts for 2030, 2050 and 2070, and at three things that could shape our future: rapid population growth driven by climate migration, physical isolation, and disruption to communications.
Working in small groups, participants:
- Traced how climate impacts might unfold over time
- Identified our region’s existing strengths and the practical actions that could help us adapt
- Wrote stories about everyday life in the Huon Valley in 2070
The stories
Five illustrated stories follow local characters living through storms, heatwaves, floods and drought in 2070:
- Paddy, 65, who has watched the Valley grow from 20,000 to 100,000 people
- Miriam, 34, a bushfire engineer living by the Huon Sea
- Jimmy, 7, who lives in a small community village
- Zen, 34, a cybersecurity analyst in an intentional community
- Olivia, 65, who works on a community farm
The book also follows Emma, a teacher, and her family through 2030, 2050 and 2070 in two different futures. In one, the community has prepared. In the other, it hasn’t. Together they show how much the choices we make today can shape the Valley our children and grandchildren inherit.
A note before you read
Some of these stories imagine futures we hope to avoid, and they include loss, illness and natural disasters. They may be confronting, especially if you have lived through a bushfire, flood or other emergency. These futures are not inevitable. If Council, community and our partners work together, we can shape a liveable future for the Huon Valley.
If reading brings up difficult feelings, support is available from Lifeline on 13 11 14.
What we learnt
Participants identified more than 120 climate actions, most of them within areas Council can act on or influence. Ideas that came up again and again included:
- Community batteries and microgrids
- Early warning systems and emergency plans
- Backup communication systems
- Local food production and seed banks
- Flood-safe transport routes
- Community resilience hubs offering shelter and support during extreme events
- Climate-resilient building standards
How we’ll use these stories
Inside Council, the stories will help us connect climate adaptation with areas like planning and development. In the community, they’ll be a way to start conversations about the future we want, as part of our Liveability Framework.
About the project
This project, Understanding Future Climate Risk: Co-Designed Applications for Local Decision-Making, was funded by the Australian Government under the National Emergency Management Disaster Risk Reduction Package. It was delivered by the University of Tasmania and Huon Valley Council and supported by the National Environmental Science Program (NESP) Climate Systems Hub.