Council has received numerous queries from property owners in coastal areas following recent media coverage of coastal reforms and sea level rise within NSW. As a result, Council would like to ensure its coastal communities are informed of the proposed changes, Councils current coastal management activities and what they mean for property owners.

Coastal vulnerability in Gosford

There are approximately 14 kms of beaches within the Gosford Local Government Area, extending from Patonga in the south to Forresters Beach in the north.

Pressures on the natural resources along the coast are significant. These include population growth and increasing residential development needs, coastal development and tourism. The increased usage of the coastal zone is having an increased impact on the natural resources and environmental value of Gosford's open coast and Broken Bay beaches.

The Gosford beaches are amongst the most dynamic of beaches on the east coast of Australia. Beach and dune erosion during storms has occurred on several occasions over recent decades resulting in the loss of several buildings and threat to much of the beachfront development.

The worst erosion was experienced along North Avoca, Terrigal and Wamberal beaches, during 1974, 1978 and to a lesser extent in 1986. Severe erosion during these storms also occurred at MacMasters/Copacabana and Forresters beaches. While not directly threatening development, this erosion has raised questions relating to dune stability and the development thereon.

Historically, coastal processes have threatened sections of this coastline, with particular reference given to the impacts of erosion at Wamberal Beach in 1974, 1978, 1986 and 1997. Damage to public assets and impacts upon recreational amenity has also been experienced at other beaches in the Gosford area. These issues are likely to be exacerbated into the future as a result of postulated climate change impacts and projected rises in mean sea-level.

What influence will climate change have on coastal areas of Gosford?

Australia’s coastline is one of this country’s greatest natural, economic and cultural resources. The asset value of existing beach front infrastructure is immeasurable. Recent experiences internationally have shown that in a changing climate, coastal recession is a real and growing threat to the present-day sustainability of our coasts.

Climate change is predicted to have significant impacts upon coastal areas. Some of the predicted future impacts of climate change on the NSW coast include:

• Sea level rise (including changes to coastal groundwater levels/salinity, increased tidal dominance and marinisation of estuaries). Shoreline retreat can be 50 - 200 times the vertical sea level rise, depending on coastal geomorphology;
• Increase in the intensity of regular and extreme flood events;
• A decease in the annual average rainfall;
• Increase in the number of ocean storm wave events (i.e. erosion events);
• An increase in coastal inundation associated with ocean storm wave events;
• Increases to temperature and solar radiation, including an increase in the number of annual days over 35oC;
• An increase in evapotranspiration;
• Increase to sea surface temperatures;
• Increased wind speeds.

What is Gosford Council doing to minimise the impact of coastal processes on coastal developments?

Planning for an uncertain future, where the trends of the past cannot be relied upon, is an emerging issue for Council. In undertaking this complex planning, Council will be, in many instances, "breaking new ground".

Planning for sea level rise and more broadly climate change is, and will be over the coming years, very challenging and demanding for Council. The consideration of a planning level for sea level rise and the exhibition of sea level rise mapping in September/October 2009 was an initial step that will assist this Council to work with its community through this complex and multi-faceted problem.

This Council has a relatively strong tradition in planning for hazards such as coastal erosion and flooding through the development of coastal management plans, estuary management plans and floodplain risk management plans. These have provided our community with information and guidance regarding local flooding and coastal erosion issues that already exist.

As the changes to climate manifest themselves over time, it is likely the extent of hazards such as these will change, and this planning tradition will assist with meeting the challenges we will face. To enable this to happen it is important that climate change parameters such as a sea level rise planning level be adopted to ensure it is inputted into these strategic processes.

It is equally important that a sea level rise planning level is a consideration in all asset management and capital works project planning. The process for doing this is best described in the graphic below:

Coastal Management Planning Process

Engagement with community networks and interest groups will be essential as this Council adapts and responds with the aim of becoming more resilient to the impacts of climate change. This will be an ongoing process and as new information from State Agencies is received by Council it will continue to be shared with the community.

Gosford City Open Coast Beaches Coastal Management Study and Plan

The scope and detail of this Coastal Management Study report relate to development of the Coastal Management Plan for the following Gosford City beaches:

• MacMasters - Copacabana
• Avoca - North Avoca
• Terrigal - Wamberal
• Forresters

The Gosford Coastal Management Plan deals with the beach systems and coastal cliff and bluff areas. Thus the study area extends landward to include the potentially active dune systems and seaward to the limit of the offshore beach sand units.

A separate management plan has been developed for the coastal lagoons. There is obvious interaction between the lagoon entrance processes and the beaches, requiring establishment of co-ordinated management practices.

Gosford Coastal Management Study has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Coastline Management Manual prepared by the New South Wales Government September 1990. It was adopted by Gosford City Council on 22 August 1995.

Click here to download a copy of the Gosford City Open Coast and Broken Bay Beaches Coastal Management Study and Plan

Broken Bay Beaches Coastal Management Plan

The Broken Bay Beaches Coastal Management Plan deals with the beach systems, mouths of estuaries and coastal cliff and bluff areas for the following Gosford City beaches:

• Putty
• Ocean/Umina
• Pearl
• Patonga

The area covered by the Plan extends landward to include the potentially active dune and estuarine systems and seaward to the limit of the offshore beach sand units. The estuaries have been included because of their influence on coastal processes on the beaches.

The Broken Bay Beaches Coastal Management Study and accompanying Management Plan have been prepared in accordance with the Coastline Management Manual prepared by the New South Wales Government, September 1990. The Coastal Management Plan was adopted by Gosford City Council on the 31 August 1999.

Each Coastline Management Plan was developed to ensure that:

• all reasonable measures are taken to avoid hazard and potential damage to existing properties and recreational amenity at risk;
• future development, works and activities in the coastal zone do not cause significant or unacceptable growth in hazard or damage potential by adverse interaction with coastal processes;
• the long term future protection and use of the coastline is provided for, as required by the NSW Coastal Policy;
• land subject to coastline hazards is identified and managed in a manner compatible with the type, nature and damage potential of these hazards;
• guidance is given to developers concerning issues and factors they should address when proposing development;
• lands subject to coastal hazards are managed to maximise the social, economic, aesthetic, recreational and ecological benefits to both individuals and the community, as well as taking into account hazard considerations, and rights of private landowners;
• information on the nature of existing and possible future hazards is made available to the public;
• due regard is paid to community safety, health and welfare; and
• appropriate warning systems and contingency plans are available to minimise personal risk and to facilitate post-event recovery.

Click here to download a copy of the Broken Bay Beaches Coastal Management Plan

Coastal Management Framework

The primary purpose of coastal management planning is to describe proposed actions to be implemented by council, other public authorities and potentially by the private sector to address priority management issues in the coastal zone over a defined implementation period. These issues include:

• managing risks to public safety and built assets
• pressures on coastal ecosystems, and
• community uses of the coastal zone.

Identification of Hazard Lines in Coastal Areas

The existing two Coastline Management Plans identify erosion hazard zones developed from analyses of the effects of past storm events and trends and predicted trends of sand movement and shoreline recession.

A series of hazard maps were produced as part of the Open Coast and Broken Bay Beaches Coastline Management Plans. The hazard lines marked on the maps being based on a combination of a major storm event and the progressive shoreline movement under the influence of sea level rise.

The finalisation of the hazard maps led to the development of appropriate development controls for coastal lands through Development Control Plan 125 - Coastal Frontage.

Development Control Plan 125 - Coastal Frontage

Note: As part of State planning reform process, all councils in NSW are required to prepare new Local Environmental Plans based on the State Government's "Standard Instrument LEP". Council has prepared its draft LEP, which is called Draft Gosford Local Environmental Plan 2009 (or DLEP 2009). As part of this process, councils are also required to prepare a single accompanying Development Control Plan, and this is called Draft Gosford Development Control Plan 2009 (or DDCP 2009).

The DLEP and DDCP were exhibited for the between 10 February and 8 April 2010. The current provisions of DCP 125 Coastal Frontage are incorporated into the new DDCP 2009 under Chapter 6.2 - Coastal Frontage.

This plan applies to all land within the City of Gosford which is affected by the coastal processes of beach and/or cliff erosion, namely, the section of coastline from Forresters Beach to Patonga.

Reference must be made in dealing with coastal frontage development to the Coastal Processes Investigations, Coastal Management Studies and Coastal Management Plans for the Gosford City Open Coast Beaches (ie Forresters Beach to MacMasters Beach inclusive) and Broken Bay Beaches (ie Little Beach to Patonga inclusive).

The plan generally conforms to the provisions of the Gosford Planning Scheme Ordinance and any subsequent amending Local Environmental Plan.

The purpose of DCP 125 is to provide more detailed guidelines for the development of the land having regard to minimising the risks associated with building on land which has frontage to a coastal beach or cliff.

DCP 125 has been prepared to take account of Coastal Management Plans that Council has prepared and adopted. The Coastal Management Plans were prepared following Coastal Management Studies and Coastal Process Investigations that were carried out by Council between 1993 and 1999. The preparation of the Coastal Management Plans was carried out in accordance with the principles of the Coastline Management Manual released by the NSW Government in 1990.

Where a development application is lodged which relates to land to which this DCP 125 applies, Council will take the provisions of this plan into consideration in determining that application.

While compliance with the provisions of DCP 125 does not necessarily imply that Council will consent to any application. Council must also take into consideration matter listed under Section 79C of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act, 1979.

DCP 125 outlines a range of development standards to guide the preparation of development applications in areas considered to be influenced by coastal processes.

The objectives of this Development Control Plan 125 are as follows:

1. Minimise the risk to life and property associated with development and building on land which has a coastal beach and/or cliff frontage.
2. Provide guidelines for the development of land within the coastal frontage area.

Coastal Processes and Hazard Reassessment

Many of the management options in the existing Coastline Management Plans have been investigated and, where feasible, implemented. The existing plans now require review, particularly as new data is available and in view of recent changes and amendments to NSW Government guidelines, policies and legislation.

Council has been successful in acquiring State Government funding, through DECCW, to assist in reassessing coastal processes and hazards for Gosford’s open coast and Broken Bay beaches. This works will be undertaken with guidance from the Gosford Coastal and Estuary Management Committee.

The NSW Coastline Management Manual (1990) identifies a range of coastline hazards. These include beach erosion and recession, coastal inundation, climate change (including sea level rise), stormwater erosion, sand drift and slope instability. A review of these hazards for each of the beaches will be undertaken, drawing on existing studies and new data wherever possible. The risk-based hazard assessment will be carried out for the immediate, 50 year and 100 year planning periods.

The reports produced for various components of the Open Coast and Broken Bay Beaches Coastal Processes and Hazards Reassessment study will be as follows:

• Review of Coastal Processes and Coastline Hazards
• Coastline Management Study Review
• Updated Coastline Management Plan

The updated Coastline Management Plan will provide, amongst other things, a strategic policy framework for coordinated, integrated and ecologically sustainable development of sections of the coastline affected by the identified hazards, and the protection of fragile coastal environments into the future. It is intended that this provide the basis for future planning and management of Gosford’s beaches.

Information from the study will feed into a review of DCP 125 - Coastal Frontage and planning instruments. The study findings may alter the information required for Development Applications and may change the nature of development approvals issued. Revision of existing hazard lines for the open coast and Broken Bay beaches (taking into account the State Government’s Sea Level Rise planning benchmarks) will result in a review of the planning and development controls applying to coastal development.

To advise of the study commencement, over 1100 letter were sent out in March 2010 to owners of properties located within the current hazard lines, and those potentially affected following review of the hazard lines. As a result some 35 members of the community registered and interest in receiving future study updates.

Earlier this year, Council has engaged a suitably qualified consultant to review the current Coastal Management Plans and associated studies and incorporate additional data.

Data sets include:

• Geospatial data - aerial photography, photogrammetry and various GIS data layers (cadastral information, zoning, vegetation mapping etc);
• Meteorological, ocean and estuarine data - water levels, offshore wave height and direction, wind speed and direction;
• Survey data - topographical LiDAR, offshore bathymetry, innershelf/nearshore hydrosurvey, marine LiDAR; and
• Geotechnical and geological data - shelf seabed maps, borehole logs.

The study tasks include:

• reviewing coastal processes and hazards, as identified in previous reports (more than 25 relevant documents were forwarded to the consultant in May 2010);
• modelling the nearshore wave climate and developing a conceptual model of coastal processes (including sediment transport both longshore and onshore/offshore);
• assessing wave runup (based on a re-analysis of elevated water levels) and associated potential inundation along the open coast;
• assessing potential erosion and inundation levels in the lagoon and creek entrance areas where water levels are influenced by both ocean storms and catchment runoff;
• updating hazard lines, based on the review of previous work and new data, policy and guidelines;
• assessing current management strategies in light of the updated information on coastal processes and hazards; and
• identifying and undertaking a preliminary assessment of any other feasible management options.

To date the consultants have:

• completed the review of previous reports;
• summarised published historical information relating to the beaches and dune systems;
• summarised storm history and analysed storm events;
• described lagoon entrances, migration and management practices;
• undertaken site inspections and assessed the scour potential of stormwater outlets discharging to the coast;
• commenced analysis of the photogrammetry received to date from DECCW; and almost completed nearshore wave modelling.

2012/13 Coastal Management Reforms

On Saturday 8 September 2012, the NSW Government announced the first stage of its coastal management reforms. Key elements of the reforms include:

• The 2009 NSW Sea Level Rise Policy Statement is no longer NSW Government policy. The State Government will no longer recommend state wide sea level rise planning benchmarks for councils, but will leave it to councils to determine their own planning levels. This aims to provide councils “the flexibility to consider coastal hazards in the context of their local circumstances” (OEH website).
• In 2010 the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage released guidelines on incorporating sea level rise into flood risk and coastal hazard assessment. These documents will be revised as part of the reform process. In the interim, the OEH website states “reference to the NSW sea level rise planning benchmarks in these documents should be taken as referring to council's adopted sea level rise projections".
• It is interesting to note that the Chief Scientist’s report commissioned as part of the reforms identifies that “the way the science has been used to determine benchmarks is adequate... On this basis, I find it difficult to imagine how a coastal council could adopt any other levels than those provided in the former NSW Sea Level Rise Policy”.
• New guidelines will be provided to councils to clarify what should be include on section 149 certificates relating to projected sea level rise impacts and coastal hazards (eg erosion).
• A standardised methodology for coastal erosion hazard mapping by councils is to be developed
• Relaxing current requirements of the Coastal Protection Act to make it easier for landowners to undertake temporary coastal protection works (using sandbags)
• Halving the maximum penalties for offences under the Coastal Protection Act relating to the inappropriate use of sandbags on beaches (ie the maximum penalties will reduce from $495,000 for a corporation and $247,500 otherwise to $247,500 for a corporation and $123,750 otherwise.
• Councils will be provided with an extra 12 months to prepare their coastal zone management plans, to allow time for them to determine their potential future coastal hazards which reflect their local conditions.
• The Minister will defer certifying any further coastal zone management plans while the Government’s stage 2 reforms are developed as the government needs to consider how these plans can better link with other legislation.

Council has written to the NSW Government seeking clarification on detail of the reforms. Once clear direction has been provided Council will be able to progress its coastal management planning activities.

Council has written to the NSW Government seeking clarification on detail of the reforms. Once clear direction has been provided Council will be able to progress its coastal management planning activities.