Coastal Management in Southern Coastal Area

Management issues in the Southern Coastal Area include risks to public safety and built assets pressures on coastal ecosystems and the community’s use of the coastal zone.

The primary purpose of coastal management planning is to describe what can be done and by whom to address the coastal zone from Patonga to Forresters Beach. Management issues include risks to public safety and built assets, pressures on coastal ecosystems, and the community’s use of the coastal zone.

Coastal Zone Management Planning for Gosford’s coastal beaches

Over a period of five years Council has undertaken a rigorous process to review, update and amalgamate previous Coastal Management Plans developed in the 1990s. This process is described below:

1. Risk assessment - Coastal processes and hazard definition study

Coastal environments are dynamic, so it is important that coastal risk assessments are reviewed over time. Council engaged experts to examine and assess the coastal processes and hazards that impact the coastline between Patonga and Forresters Beach. This included beach erosion, shoreline recession, sand drift, coastal inundation, stormwater erosion, slope instability and climate change.

An assessment was then made of the risks to life and property posed by coastal hazards. Risks were assessed based on the state-wide Sea Level Rise projections. Council has since revised its projections down and applied them into the revised Development Control Plan Chapter.

Council endorsed the Open Coast and Broken Bay Beaches Coastal Processes and Hazard Definition Study (CPHDS) report on Tuesday 25 March, 2014.

Copies of the CPHDS Report and associated coastal hazard mapping can be found in the following links:

Open Coast and Broken Bay Beaches Coastal Processes and Hazard Definition Study

Patonga Coastal Hazard Map

Pearl Beach Coastal Hazard Map

Umina Ocean Beach Coastal Hazard Map

Putty Killcare Beach Coastal Hazard Map

MacMasters Copacabana Beach Coastal Hazard Map

Avoca and North Avoca Beach Coastal Hazard Map

Terrigal and Wamberal Beach Coastal Hazard Map

Forresters Beach Coastal Hazard Map

Application of new risk information

Having received updated risk information, Council has a duty of care to consider this information in relevant decision-making processes. When Council has information which may affect a buyer’s decision to purchase a property, it could be considered negligent if it withheld this information. For existing owners, Council wants to ensure they are aware of the information pertaining to their property, should they wish to undertake designs to redevelop.

On 22 March 2016 Council adopted a revised Chapter 6.2 Coastal Frontage of Gosford’s Development Control Plan (DCP) 2013. This new chapter came into effect on 15 April 2016. The revised chapter incorporates flexibility so that development potential on coastal fronting properties is maintained, while also planning responsibly for future coastal risk, including sea level rise.

View the Revised DCP Chapter 6.2 Coastal Frontage.

2. Coastal Zone Management Study

The Open Coast and Broken Bay Beaches Coastal Zone Management Study presents a series of management options for the beaches between Forresters and Patonga.

View the Open Coast and Broken Bay Beaches Coastal Zone Management Study 2015

Appendix 1

Putty/Killcare Beach Vegetation Mapping

Pearl/Umina/Ocean Beach Vegetation Mapping

Patonga Beach Vegetation Mapping

MacMasters/Copacabana Beach Vegetation Mapping

Avoca Beach Vegetation Mapping

Terrigal/Wamberal/Forresters Beach Vegetation Mapping

Appendix 2 – Beach Visitation Statistics

Appendix 3 – Coastal Hazard Summary

Appendix 4 – Coastal Hazard Mapping (see section 1 above)

Appendix 5 – Summary of Public Submissions

3. Gosford Beaches Coastal Zone Management Plan

Gosford Beaches Coastal Zone Management Plan (Gosford CZMP 2017 relates to the area covering the beaches from Forrester’s Beach in the north to Patonga in the south (excluding National Parks beaches).

The Gosford CZMP describes how Council, other public authorities and property owners can and should respond to coastal hazards. It focuses on:

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

The updated Coastline Management Plan provides 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. Importantly, the Gosford Beaches Coastal Zone Management Plan also provides the foundation for the development of appropriate planning controls for the coastal zone.

4. Community Engagement (underway and ongoing)

A quality CZMP depended largely on the knowledge, involvement and support of the local community. Accordingly, community consultation and participation has been an important part of the planning process.

Council aims to ensure that:

the community is provided with the opportunity to gain an understanding of the coastal management issues and the planning process; and
community concerns and aspirations are considered during the planning process.

All management strategies were developed in conjunction with affected landowners and the wider community during parts two and three of this planning process (outlined above).

Development Control Plan 2013 - Chapter 6.2 - Coastal Frontage

This plan applies to all land within the City of Gosford affected by the coastal processes from Forresters Beach to Patonga. The purpose of the DCP is to provide detailed guidelines for the development of the land with regard to minimising the risks associated with building on land which has frontage to a coastal beach or cliff.

An amendment to Gosford Development Control Plan 2013 has been prepared for Chapter 6.2 Coastal Frontage. The purpose of the amendment is to align Chapter 6.2 Coastal Frontage of Gosford Development Control Plan 2013 with the recently adopted Gosford Beaches Coastal Zone Management Plan. The Draft Chapter provides a streamlined, simplified and flexible approach to managing land use on areas subjected to coastal hazards.

Draft Patonga Crown Reserves and Dark Corner Cottages Plan of Management

The Draft Patonga Crown Reserves and Dark Corner Cottages Plan of Management (PoM) encompasses the foreshore extending from the eastern side of Patonga Creek to the north to the Dark Corner Cottages to the east. The Patonga Caravan and Camping Area is included.