Coffs Harbour Coastal Zone Management Plan
City of Coffs Harbour has prepared and adopted the Coffs Harbour Coastal Processes and Hazards Definition Study 2011, a Coffs Harbour Coastal Zone Management Study 2012 and a Coffs Harbour Coastal Zone Management Plan 2013.
The Coffs Harbour Coastal Processes and Hazards Definition Study is the first step in developing a Coastal Zone Management Plan to help tackle such risks in the Coffs Harbour local government area (LGA). The Study contains a thorough technical assessment of the possible threats posed by climate change, extreme weather and sea level rise.
The Coffs Coastal Processes and Hazards Definition Study was developed by BMT WBM Pty Ltd consultants. Using the NSW Government's scientific guidelines and forecast sea level rise, it investigates the coastal processes occurring along the Coffs Harbour LGA coastline and the extent of the coastal hazards arising from these processes.
The Study looks at the likelihood of either coastal erosion or coastal inundation during extreme weather at three different timescales. These are 'Immediate', in the year '2050' and in the year '2100'. At each of these timescales, maps and hazard lines have been developed for the LGA that show erosion or inundation on the basis of 'almost certain', 'unlikely' and 'rare'.
Please note that the purpose of the Study is simply to identify those potential coastal hazards. The Coastal Zone Management Plan puts in place the strategies needed to lessen the impacts of the identified potential hazards. It should also be noted that the coastal inundation zones shown in the maps are not permanent water levels, but illustrate forecast inundation during a storm event with or without sea level rise.
The Plan was adopted in 2013 but certified and gazetted in 2018. The Study also contains a number of accompanying maps that are available via our online mapping tool. These were updated following additional geotechnical analysis in 2018 and the revised report adopted by Council May 2019.
The Coffs Harbour Coastal Zone Policy also gives further direction when developing in the coastal zone with the aim of minimising social, environment and economic risks, due to coastal processes.
The City started work on a new Coastal Management Program for the open coast in 2023.