BY DAKOTA TAIT
New climate models suggest parts of the Hunter could be be hip-deep in the ocean by the end of the century, with rising sea levels putting the region at risk.
The Coastal Risk Australia modelling, developed in conjunction with FrontierSI and NGIS Australia, is based on the Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change's latest data on ice sheet melting.
Significant areas of Carrington, Wickham, Maryville and Tighes Hill are likely to be washed out if a predicted 84cm rise in global sea levels occurs by 2100.
Lake Macquarie suburbs such as Boolaroo, Blackalls Park and Warners Bay could also be flooded if trends continue.
Modelling a worst case scenario, it's projected that sea levels could rise as much as two metres.
