As part of the ongoing need to strengthen the research-policy relationship, this paper has been prepared to help frame discussions for a VCCCAR-led Think Tank focusing on ‘supporting partnerships with local government and the community’, which is a priority theme identified in the Victorian Climate Change Adaptation Plan (VCCAP). The paper reviews research and evidence of practices around adaptation planning in local government and communities in Victoria, and identifies key knowledge gaps and research needs against the key climate change impacts that Victorian communities are facing. The VCCAP states that ‘Victoria’s local governments have an important role to play in climate adaptation’ and that ‘partnerships between the Victorian Government and the local government sector are a critically important mechanism for adaptation planning across Victoria’ (p.38), in particular because such partnerships can encourage community adaptation and adaptation planning at the local and regional scale. The VCCAP specifically recognises the importance of local knowledge and experience in adaptation planning and outlines shared responsibilities between state and local governments.