Open Coast Coastal Management Program

The Eurobodalla Open Coast Coastal Management Program (CMP) has been prepared to ensure Eurobodalla Shire's coast is managed and developed in a way that protects our natural features and supports ongoing growth.

The Open Coast CMP covers over 140km of beaches, headlands and shorelines, from South Durras Beach in the north, to Akolele on the shoreline of Wallaga Lake at the southern end of Eurobodalla Shire. Council manages approximately 60 per cent of this area, the remaining beaches are managed by National Parks. As a coastal council, we are required to undertake a CMP to manage sections of our coastal zone.

The Open Coast CMP has been prepared in accordance with the NSW Coastal Management Act 2016 and NSW Coastal Management Manual 2018. The Minister for Local Government has certified The Open Coast CMP under Section 17(2) of the CM Act.

View the CMP:

• Open Coast Coastal Management Plan (7.9 MB)

Focus: The CMP identifies a range of actions (including infrastructure works), emergency response strategies and land-use planning advice to allow Council to manage our coastline in a strategic and integrated manner.
Status: Certified by the NSW Minister for Local Government.
Next step: Implementation.

The CMP focuses on the following key threats, issues and opportunities identified by the community:

• Coastal Hazard and climate change: Identifies areas that currently are or will likely become affected by coastal hazards. It gives particular attention to places where public or private assets could be at risk from coastal hazards such as erosion and inundation. The business plan identifies a wide range of actions to mitigate these coastal hazards.
• The Environment: Provides actions to positively influence a wide range of environmental outcomes, such as water quality management, coastal weed control.
• Cultural Heritage: Recognises the enduring connection to land and sea our Aboriginal Community hold, and the role they have always played and continue to play as custodians and guardians. The CMP contains a number of actions centred around the protection of heritage locations in the Coastal Zone that are at risk of coastal hazards and other threats. The CMP also contains actions to support and recognise this connection to country, such as partnering with community in cultural tourism opportunities.

Background

The Coastal Management Program is a 5 Stage Process.

• Stage one: The scoping study which identifies the scope, problems, values and opportunities for the CMP. The Scoping Study was completed in early 2021.
• Stage two: Involves detailed assessment of the potential coastal hazards in the area, looking at future hazards that may be exacerbated over time by rising sea levels or an unpredictable climate. It also looks at opportunities to address other threats, like a lack of education, a need for better access, or a risk to cultural heritage in the coastal zone.
• Stage 3: Takes the information from stage 1 and 2 and begins to draft a series of options for council to address risks, threats and opportunities. This forms the centrpiece of the CMP document.
• Stage four: Is the process of reviewing the draft CMP through extended agency, stakeholder and community consultation – to ensure we get it right. The CMP is then adopted by Council and certified by the minister for local government.
• Stage five: Is the ongoing implementation of the CMP by Council and the state agencies listed as responsible for delivery of CMP actions. We are at stage 5 now.

Stage 1 - Scoping study

Prepare a scoping study to identify key issues and the range of technical assessments required. Expert coastal and engineering consultants Rhelm completed the draft scoping in May 2021, with consultation and review by Council and State Government Agency staff.

• Coastal Management Program Scoping Study 2021 (6.0 MB)
• Map Compendium - Part 1 (5.9 MB)
• Map Compendium - Part 2 (5.9 MB)
• Map Compendium - Part 3 (6.9 MB)
• Map Compendium - Part 4 (3.6 MB)
• Map Compendium - Part 5 (3.1 MB)

Stage 2 - Detailed Hazard Assessment

Technical investigations to identify areas that are potentially at risk from coastal hazards now and into the future. Studies have been completed to indicate the extent of hazards such as erosion and inundation, from storms, waves and tides.

• Report - Vulnerability Assessments (3.6 MB)
• Map - Erosion Hazard (4.8 MB)
• Map - Tidal Inundation (6.0 MB)
• Map - Coastal Inundation Depth (10.3 MB)
• Map - Coastal Inundation Part 1 (11.5 MB)
• Map - Coastal Inundation Part 2 (13.5 MB)
• Map - Coincident Inundation Part 1 (8.6 MB)
• Map - Coincident Inundation Part 2 (11.8 MB)
• Map - Coastal Vulnerability Area - Part 1 (4.6 MB)
• Map - Coastal Vulnerability Area - Part 2 (5.0 MB)
• Appendix A - Geotech Investigation Report (17.8 MB)
• Appendix B - Sediment Transport (2.9 MB)
• Appendix C - Coastal Hazard Maps (8.5 MB)
• Appendix D - Model Assumptions (569.8 KB)

Stage 3 - Detailed option assessment

Develop strategies to adapt our communities to coastal hazards. Council and the project consultant have sought community and state government input and feedback through working groups, our Coastal and Environment Management Advisory Committee and through a NSW State Government taskforce. This community input has been used to determine a business plan of preferred coastal hazard solutions and opportunities for environmental protection and access.

• Appendix A - Community Stakeholder Engagement Plan and Summary (2.3 MB)
• Appendix C - Option Feasibility (383.0 KB)
• Appendix D - Option Viability (406.4 KB)
• Appendix E - Option Summaries (8.7 MB)
• Appendix F - Option Costings (1.1 MB)

The CMP also contains guidance in how Council and community respond to emergency situations, such as coastal storms. The Coastal Zone Emergency Action Subplan allows Council and community to action strategies to mitigate impacts and disruption from storm events on private and public assets and cultural heritage sites. The Coastal Hazard Code provides guidance around appropriate development controls in areas where there may be a coastal hazard risk.

• Appendix G - Coastal Hazard Code (353.9 KB)
• Appendix H - Coastal Zone Emergency Action Subplan (4.2 MB)

Stage 4 -  Public exhibition, adoption and certification of the program

The draft Open Coast CMP was on public exhibition for community feedback from 12 October to 23 November 2022. During the public exhibition period, we hosted four community drop-in sessions and to view the draft in person. Following public exhibition, the CMP was adopted at the Ordinary Meeting of Council on 13 December 2022 and 7 February 2023, the Minister for Local Government certified the CMP.

• View a summary of the feedback we received and our responses. (296.1 KB)
• Council minute 13 December 2022 (360.3 KB)

Role of Traditional Custodians

Throughout this project we've worked closely with the Traditional Custodians of the Eurobodalla, who have always managed this land and continue to do so to this day.

The CMP involved frequent meetings with traditional owners on Country, with representatives from Eurobodalla’s Local Aboriginal Land Council’s, Elders and knowledge holders.

With assistance from the Aboriginal Community and the Eurobodalla Land Council’s, Council and the NSW State Government have captured and shared some of their values and ongoing contribution to managing the coast and sea of NSW in a series of videos about coastal management and connection to country:

• Watch our videos about engaging with and the importance of the coast for our Aboriginal community.

Register for updates

Sign up to our mailing list to be kept up-to-date at milestones throughout the project.

• Register for email updates about this project.

More information

• Background and timeline: Learn about what has happened so far with the Eurobodalla Coastal Management Program.
• Coastal hazards assessment documentation: Download the Eurobodalla coastal hazard assessment, which was presented to the community in 2017 during Stage 2.

For more information about Coastal Management Programs and long-term solutions, please contact our Coastal Management Planner, Cameron Whiting:

• T: 02 4474 1374
• E: Cameron Whiting