Central Coast Council has been awarded $35,000 to complete a scoping study of open coast and coastal lagoons under the State Government’s Coastal and Estuary Grants Program.
Member for Terrigal, Adam Crouch, said the region had a number of “coastal erosion hotspots”, including at Wamberal. “The purpose of this grant is to enable Council to complete a scoping study for its new coastal management program (CMP), which ensures that all coastal zone management strategies in the region are covered by the one plan, ” Crouch said.
Minister for Local Government, Shelley Hancock, said funding under the program was provided to assist councils prepare plans to set out long term strategies for the coordinated management of our coastal environment. “The planning stream of the Coastal and Estuary Grants Program is the first step in the process of supporting local government to understand their complex coastal and estuarine environments, ”
Hancock said. Central Coast Mayor, Lisa Matthews, said the partnership with the State Government would help Council transition from the current Coastal Zone Management Plans (CZMPs) to new Coastal Management Programs required under the Government’s coastal management framework. “Council’s existing plans for our coastal and estuarine areas must be updated to meet these requirements, ” Clr Matthews said.
“This funding will help us with the first stage of the process. “The scoping study for the update of the Lower Hawkesbury Estuary, including Brisbane Water, plan is underway and Tuggerah Lakes will begin later this year. ”
Source: Media release, Oct 28 Member for Terrigal, Adam Crouch