Protecting South Australian Coastline

Eleven councils across South Australia have been granted a total of $2.2 million this year to help protect and conserve the state’s coastline, including from the impacts of climate change, Ian Hunter, Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation said in its latest release.

South Australia already has a number of policies and systems in place for coastal management, as climate change impacts such sea level rise and coastal erosion will continue to be a challenge to the state.

To help mitigate these changes, the Coast Protection Board’s annual grants program has funded $328,000 to regional and metropolitan councils.

This includes:

• $60,000 to the City of Port Augusta for construction of a section of levee bank to deliver Port Augusta’s sea flood protection strategy;
• $60,000 to the City of Port Adelaide for construction of a section of levee bank at Birkenhead to provide sea flood protection at Port Adelaide;
• $58,000 to the District Council of Mount Remarkable for upgrading of a levee at Port Germein that was damaged by storms in 2016;
• $50,000 to the City of Onkaparinga for a cliff stabilization study at Aldinga Beach;
• $30,000 to the City of Victor Harbor for erosion control works at Encounter Bay;
• $20,000 to the City of Whyalla for beach replenishment to maintain storm erosion buffers and beach amenity;
• $20,000 to the Robe District Council for replenishment of Town Beach to maintain erosion protection for the town;
• $15,000 to the Wattle Range District Council for a coastal erosion study at Post Office Rock, Beachport;
• $15,000 to the Yorke Peninsula Council for detailed design of flood protection works at Port Clinton.

Earlier this year the State Budget announced extra Coast Protection Board funding of $1.85 million to assist two council’s with seawall projects. This includes:

• $1.25 million to the City of Charles Sturt to support the reconstruction of the West Beach seawall;
• $600,000 to the Kingston District Council to construct a new seawall at Wyomi Beach.

Background

The Coast Protection Board was established by the Coast Protection Act 1972 and is the prescribed body in South Australia managing coast protection issues and providing advice on coastal development.

The board provides grant funding to councils to help address – via development or research – erosion and flooding hazards along South Australia’s coasts.

The State Government has also invested $23 million to establish the Adelaide’s Living Beaches sand pumping system, and spends approximately $6 million a year to manage Adelaide’s beaches between Kingston Park and Semaphore.