Coastal Management

The NSW Government has implemented what has been termed the Stage 1 Coastal Reforms, effective from 21 January 2013. These reforms relate to sea level rise and coastal erosion and protection and has been implemented by an amendment to the Coastal Protection Act 1979.

The three major changes are as follows:

Further information is available from OEH via the following link.

The NSW Government requires all coastal councils to prepare a Coastal Zone Management Plan for the coastline within each Local Government Area (LGA). The Coastal Zone Management Plan identifies estimated coastal recession due to storm events and sea level rise, and possible management options that can be undertaken to address areas affected by this. Council engaged consultants WorleyParsons to undertake this work.

The first stage of this was to prepare a Coastline Hazard Definition Study to identify the risk and then a Coastline Management Study was prepared to develop options for the management of the following coastline hazards along the Greater Taree coast:
• Storm erosion.
• Long term recession due to sediment loss and sea level rise.
• Inundation due to wave run-up overtopping the dune system.

The Coastline Hazard Definition Study and Coastline Management Study were placed on public exhibition from October to November 2010 to obtain feedback from the community in relation to the management options and the content of the studies. Submissions were received and collated and the matter reported to Council in February 2011.

Council at its February 2011 Ordinary Meeting adopted a policy stance of Planned Retreat and resolved to have all the management options identified in the Coastline Management Study included in the Coastline Management Plan. Council also resolved to formally exhibit the Coastline Management Plan and Emergency Action Plan once Council’s consultants had prepared these.

The Greater Taree Coast Emergency Action Sub-Plan was exhibited in September 2011 to obtain feedback from the community. The submissions received as a result of the exhibition were reported back to Council and the plan forwarded to the NSW Minister for the Environment for endorsement. The Honourable Robyn Parker MP certified the Greater Taree Coast Emergency Action Sub-Plan under the Coastal Protection Act 1979 on the 28 February 2012. As per the Minister for the Environment’s direction and as required under section 55H of the Coastal Protection Act 1979, Council published the Greater Taree Coast Emergency Action Sub-Plan in the NSW Government Gazette on 17 August 2012.

View the study and associated documents from the links below:

Council and its consultants are in the process of finalising the draft CZMP for exhibition, which is expected to occur shortly.

A fact sheet on coastal management is available under Council's Fact Sheets section.

Dredging of the Manning River estuary commenced in the 1850s to clear a channel from Harrington to Wingham which continued until the 1940s. More recently the need for dredging certain reaches of the river to improve navigation and environmental flows have been identified in the Farquhar Inlet Old Bar Entrance Opening Management Plan and the Manning River Estuary Management Plan.

The Manning River Maintenance Dredging Strategy was adopted by Council in August 2010 and prioritises dredging within the Manning River estuary so that it is sustainable over the long term. Some 27 dredging sites have been identified ranging from high to low priority. The Strategy provides a historical context to dredging in the estuary and provides information on the estuary processes, which result in the need for dredging.

The Strategy also outlines the steps necessary in the planning and implementation of dredging works as well as the legislative requirements, indicative extraction volumes and costs, and potential funding sources. The Strategy essentially provides a strategic framework to assist in the application for funding to achieve maintenance dredging works that have been identified.

The Farquhar Inlet is situated at what is considered to be the southern entrance of the Manning River. Concerns regarding the water quality at Farquhar Inlet and the associated state of the local oyster industry were raised by the community during the consultation phase of work that was undertaken by Patterson Britton & Partners (now WorleyParsons) in preparing the ‘Manning River Estuary Management Study’ (GTCC, 2009).

It is understood that frequent and extended closures of the oyster harvest areas in recent years have led to a reduction in the profitability of the shellfish industry. In addition, the condition of water quality at Farquhar Inlet is seen by the community to impact on the recreational value of the lower estuary in the vicinity of Old Bar and has a potential impact on tourism. The Manning River Estuary Management Study acknowledged these issues and the concerns of the local community. The Estuary Management Plan that was developed from the study identified the need for further investigation and the development of an Entrance Opening Management Plan for Farquhar Inlet. Council subsequently engaged WorleyParsons to undertake these investigations and to develop the Plan.

The Plan documents the current situation and the issues surrounding the current management of the entrance. It also describes and assesses a range of options that could be implemented to manage the entrance so that the frequency of the water quality and recreational issues that have occurred over recent years is reduced, and provides recommendations for the future management of the entrance.