Australia: Greater Taree Council Resolves to Combat Coastal Erosion

“A historic meeting,” concluded Mayor Paul Hogan at the ending of the Greater Taree City Council meeting two days ago.

At the meeting, Council decided to adopt a dual approach to coastal erosion, approving a both planned retreat and active erosion management in the Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) for the entire Greater Taree coastline to respond to current and possible future impacts of coastal erosion.

The planned retreat model was chosen for the coastline in the plan, with the exception of Old Bar, where active management of erosion to public and private land and infrastructure is to be managed by a revetment wall.

The construction of the revetment wall along a two kilometre stretch of Old Bar Beach is subject to the structure being funded by the State or Commonwealth governments.

For areas outside Old Bar where planned retreat is the adopted option, this means that both new and existing houses would be required to be removed or relocated when the impacts of coastal erosion place the structures at unacceptable risk.

[mappress]

Press Release, May 23, 2014