Despite the city’s coastal location no studies have been done into the impacts climate change could have on the city.

Climate change studies have been completed for both Mandurah and Busselton.

Local climate change experts say Bunbury will not be immune from global warming.

Among the predictions are potentially disastrous flooding in susceptible areas like East Bunbury and inundation of areas around the Leschenault Inlet.

Facilities and roads such as the Bunbury Rowing Club, the Parade Hotel, Ocean Drive, the surf club and Extensions Restaurant could also be under threat.

And coastal infrastructure could also be lost costing local councils hundreds of thousands of dollars.

In Fremantle, records from the last 100 years show sea levels along the WA’s coast have already risen about 20cm.

CSIRO reports point towards an 88cm rise in sea levels by the end of the century, but recent data shows oceans are already warming 50 per cent faster and ice caps melting more quickly than worst case scenario predictions.

This could see the South West on track to experience sea levels rising by more than a metre by the end of this century.

Bunbury has already witnessed king tides this year, with several jetties on the Leschenault Inlet frequently under water.

Yesterday, in response to storms, the plug at the mouth of the inlet was closed to prevent possible flooding in Bunbury.

According to WA Planning Commission sustainability committee member and Capel Shire councillor Kingsley Gibson, rising sea levels would lead to one of the biggest threats of climate change coastal erosion.

Mr Gibson said every centimetre of sea level rise had a pronounced affect on the coastline, particularly along sandy beaches such as those at Bunbury.

“So if we end up with an 88cm sea level rise, that equates to 88m of foreshore gone,” he said.

“Ocean Drive would almost certainly be eroded into the ocean.”

People living in coastal areas like Marlston Hill and along Ocean Drive would face being battered by frequent ferocious storms, with current research suggesting storms only experienced every 100 years could become as regular as every 20 years.

This figure could increase to every five years if emissions aren’t curbed.

And in flood prone areas like East Bunbury, increased storm surges from higher sea levels and fiercer storms could see flooding become more common.

Mr Gibson said the local costs of climate change would include replacing lost infrastructure like roads, power lines and steps and construction of sea walls to reduce the impact on the city.