Coastal Management
The Coffs Harbour Local Government Area covers more than 60 kilometres of coastline from Bundagen in the south to Station Creek in the north. Waterways along this coastline are all short catchments. The coastal catchments, from Bundageree Creek to Station Creek, begin at the coastal range of hills in the west. The upper parts of each catchment have steep, dramatic topography, flattening out as the creeks become estuaries and then flow to the ocean. The most distinctive features of these coastal catchments are the estuaries and lagoons, with impressive headlands and many beaches.
Climate in Coffs Harbour is a very important consideration, since rainfall is high and variable, and surface runoff is nearly double the average for coastal NSW. Risk of soil erosion is high, and broad lower floodplains are an important part of the natural drainage system.
This coastal area has been recognised as having a high biological diversity, with significant ecosystems in rainforests, most eucalypt forests, coastal heaths, estuarine wetlands, headland rock platforms and the coral and alga marine habitats. The area is particularly rich in wildlife and includes several threatened species of plants and animals.
Human settlement has tended to follow the flatter coastal plain, headlands and valley floodplains. Forests in the valleys were logged, followed by farming and banana growing. Approximately 54,000 people live in the urban areas of these coastal catchments, mostly in Coffs Harbour, Sawtell/Toormina and Woolgoolga.
Dune management is an important aspect of coastal management in the Coffs Harbour LGA and currently there are close to 30 separate coastal Landcare sites in the LGA.
Coastal Management Resources
Coastal Dune Management: A Manaual of Coastal Dune Management and Rehabilitation Techniques (DLWC 2001)
The Coastal Dune Management manual is a comprehensive guide to coastal dune rehabilitation and protection. It includes information on protection and rehabilitation techniques (including fencing, accessways, viewing platforms, signage, weed management and revegetation techniques), methods for developing management and rehabilitation plans and an overview of natural and land use processes that affect the dune systems. The manual reflects the principles of the NSW Coastal Policy.
Click here for a PDF copy - Coastal Dune Management Manual
Caring for the Coast: A Guide to Environmental Law for Coastal Communities in NSW (EDO 2010)
The purpose of this booklet is to help you understand your legal rights and obligations as a member of a coastal community and assist you in being an informed and active participant in planning and environmental decisions.
Since this booklet was published, the NSW Government has amended the NSW Coastal Protection Act 1979. The amendments created the NSW Coastal Panel and regulations relating to the types of works that can be undertaken to protect property from inundation and coastal erosion (such as temporary or long term protection works).