“Bunbury is clearly, along with Busselton, in my view, the South West’s two major towns that would be very much affected,” he said.

“Some people joke about Roelands and Burekup being the foreshore one day.”

Bunbury has a history of inundation, flooding and tidal surges in East Bunbury, the central business district and the moorlands and the port.

The Mayor said flood control gates under The Plug were designed for events which had occurred decades ago and might not offer the same protection offered from tidal surges in higher seas.

“I don’t think it’s a wise step to plan from history,” he said.

“Part of the whole preparation for climate change is that we try and identify all areas subject to inundation.”

Flood prone areas of Bunbury were left undeveloped for many years after the Preston River flooded in 1964 and a tidal surge associated with Cyclone Alby swamped the central business district and East Bunbury in the late 1970s.

Since 2005 council has engaged consultants to re-examine the actual flood risk and begun to develop those areas in the past few years.

“As a result council in some areas has reduced the levels required (to build on) and in some areas increased them,” The Mayor said.