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The community will face massive damage bills from rising sea levels if the government fails to take serious action on climate change, the Australian Greens say.
A new report warns that more than 250,000 Australian homes are at risk of inundation due to climate change by the turn of the century.
The federal government report predicts sea level rises of up to 1.1 metres by 2100, and more extreme weather events.
The Climate Change Risks to Australia's Coast report says up to $63 billion worth of residential property faces flooding.
And a further 120 ports, 1,800 bridges, power stations and water treatment plants close to the coast are also under threat.
The government used the report's release to announce a new council, headed by leading scientist Tim Flannery, to look further into the risks for coastal areas.
'This report marks a new phase in our work on adapting to a climate change we can't avoid,' Climate Change Minister Penny Wong said in Sydney on Saturday.
'And as part of this I'm announcing that we will be establishing a Coast and Climate Change Council to be chaired by Tim Flannery to engage with the community and stakeholders, local government, state government and advise the government in the lead up to the coastal forum which we propose to hold early next year.
'What we need to do through the work of the council and the forum is to build a strategy for coastal adaptation.
'It is so important for Australia ... so many of us do live on the coasts and it's such an important part of who we are as well as such an important part of our cities, our infrastructure, our economy.'
But Greens senator Christine Milne says the measures won't be enough to tackle climate change.
Labor's proposed emissions trading scheme will also do nothing to stop the report's dire warnings, she said.
'The government should take the report on notice and redesign its legislation to adopt strong targets,' Senator Milne said in a statement.
'(The report) highlights the massive damage bills the community will face if the government's weak response prevails.'
The carbon pollution reduction scheme has emission reduction targets of five to 15 per cent by 2020, depending on international outcomes.
Labor wants the scheme, due to be debated in the upper house over the following fortnight, passed before international climate change talks take place in December.
Meanwhile, a global consultancy firm says industry needs to incorporate climate change considerations into infrastructure planning.
AECOM says the report highlights the need for business to also plan ahead to avoid costly and unplanned expenditure.
'In most cases, considering climate change impacts when designing new infrastructure will be cheaper than reacting to impacts when they occur later,' company spokesman Michael Nolan said in a statement.
