Draft Coastal Management Program - Scoping Study

In 2016, the NSW Government introduced a new framework to manage the coastal environment in an ecologically sustainable way for the social, cultural and economic wellbeing of the residents and visitors of NSW. The cornerstone of this framework, the Coastal Management Act 2016, contains provisions that should be followed to develop long-term strategies for the management of the coastal zone.

The Coastal Management Program (CMP) will set the long-term strategy for the coordinated management of the coastal zone. It will achieve the purpose and objectives of the CM Act. The process to write a CMP is prescriptive so that it provides consistency across NSW. It aims to provide a framework for management of the coastal zone, which acknowledges and reflects the needs of the coastal area but balances this with the reality of the competing needs of the Local Government Area (LGA) and the various desires/mandates of other stakeholders. Opportunities for funding will be sought often and communication and engagement will be top priority.

What will the Coastal Management Program cover?

After the scoping study is completed, the remainder of the CMP will be divided into four ‘chapters’ based on geographic areas, to better manage localised issues. Each of the stages 2, 3, 4 and 5 will be done repetitiously for the four chapters:

1. Lake Cathie/Lake Innes and Bonny Hills Estuary & Coastline - incorporating the open coastline from the 4 x 4 access track adjacent to Dirah Street, Lake Cathie to the southern side of Grants Head at Bonny Hills
2. Hastings River Estuary
3. Camden Haven River
4. Port Macquarie-Hastings Open Coastline (excluding the open coastline that is covered in the Lake Cathie/Bonny Hills area

Although not required by the CMP guidelines, Council has decided to place Draft Coastal Management Program Scoping Study on public exhibition for a period of 28 days to allow the final Study, incorporating community feedback, to be recommended to Council for endorsement following exhibition. Given the level of community interest in our Coastal environment, engagement is considered essential throughout every stage of the Coastal Management Program process.

What does the scoping study include?

In accordance with the NSW Coastal Management Framework, Stage 1 of preparing a CMP is to undertake a Scoping Study. The Scoping Study aims to consolidate information gathered both during Stage 1 and from previous management plans and outline the proposed pathway for the following stages of the CMP.

Key components of the scoping study include:

• Strategic context for coastal management
• Purpose, vision and objectives of the CMP
• CMP scope - issues and areas, including maps of relevant CMAs
• Review of current management practices and arrangements
• Identification of roles and responsibilities including other councils and relevant public authorities
• First-pass risk assessment to identify where action is required, including studies to be completed in Stage 2
• Stakeholder and community engagement strategy
• Preliminary business case
• Plan for future stages and timetable for CMP preparation. Include a timeframe for steps in the preparation of a planning proposal if changes to the LEP are proposed

Council, at its meeting on 20 May 2020 resolved to place the Draft Coastal Management Program - Scoping Study on public exhibition. During the exhibition period, all interested persons are encouraged to view the draft study and provide written comments. All comments received will be reported to a future Council meeting for consideration before a final decision is made.

It is intended that additional community and stakeholder engagement sessions will be undertaken in Stage 2 of the CMP process to further build on the feedback received under stage 1 (this stage). PMHC is planning to conduct a live Q&A session on the 9th of June with expert NSW Government speakers to communicate to the community why PMHC is developing a CMP and how it will be utilised to manage our coastline and estuarine systems. PMHC understand that extensive engagement is required in order to capture the vast array of values held by people across the LGA and to incorporate the knowledge from cross-disciplinary interactions. A planned and strategic communication and engagement plan will be rolled out over the delivery of the CMP as it evolves.

Have your say

Please share your thoughts with us on the draft study by:

• Completing the online survey below; or
• Sending an email to council@pmhc.nsw.gov.au; or
• Posting your response to
  Port Macquarie-Hastings Council, PO Box 84, Port Macquarie NSW 2444.

You don’t need to write your comments in any particular style or format, as long as you tell us what you think. Please quote Council’s reference Draft Coastal Management Program - Scoping Study in your submission.

Comments should be received no later than 5pm, Friday 26th June 2020.

Please note, any submission may be made public. Contact details remain confidential; however let us know if you would like your name to remain confidential too.

For further information, contact Jesse Dick or Jack Hiscock, Environmental Services on (02) 6581 8111 or by email at council@pmhc.nsw.gov.au