In Tasmania there is little understood about the health risks associated with a changing climate, nor the implications for Ross River virus, Australia’s most significant vector-borne disease. Using Tasmania as the case study, we show that projected moderate changes in climate into the future will still have implications for regional and local ecosystems and human health, and how we frame climate change health research questions. This paper presents the findings and lessons from a Ross River virus vulnerability assessment project funded by a Tasmanian Climate Connect Grant.   We provide: i) a critical synthesis of previously dis-connected knowledge about the biophysical, social and climatic factors that contribute to Ross River virus risk in Tasmania; and ii) an assessment of potential societal vulnerability to the disease under climate change based on the application of a vulnerability co-dependency framework and taking account of climate exposure metrics from the Climate Futures for Tasmania projections to 2100.