The Ballina Shire coastline provides us with a stunning natural environment, a wide range of recreational opportunities, and is a cornerstone of the coastal lifestyle that is so highly valued by the local community and visitors alike. However, the coastline is facing increasing pressures from population growth, coastal erosion, and climate change.
To tackle this, Ballina Shire Council is updating its existing Coastal Zone Management Plan by developing a contemporary Coastal Management Program (CMP) to help manage and preserve the future of the Shire’s coastline.
“To help us develop this program, we are seeking feedback from the local community. We want to know what locals value, how they use our coastline and what concerns they have,” said Paul Busmanis, Manager of Engineering Works.
“This first stage of this project involves a review of the existing plans and information, a stocktake of community values and concerns, and setting a plan for the remaining stages of the CMP process.”
Once complete, the CMP will set the long-term strategy for the coordinated management of the coastline. It will:
- • Identify coastal management issues and threats to the coastal environment and infrastructure.
- • Recommend actions required to address these issues in a strategic way.
- • Detail how and when those actions are to be implemented.
Council is asking the community to tell them what they value about the coast and what they think about the key issues affecting the coastline.
This community survey is now live and will close on Sunday 5 December. The survey and more information can be found at www.ballina.nsw.gov.au/BallinaCMP or www.surveymonkey.com/r/BallinaCMP
Council has engaged a consultant, Water Technologies, to assist with the development of the Ballina Coastline Coastal Management Program.
