Comments Invited for Shoalhaven Coastline Issues

Shoalhaven City Council is seeking input from the community regarding available management options for the risk of coastal erosion along the Shoalhaven coastline.

Mayor Joanna Gash said Council is launching a community engagement initiative title ‘Our Coast, Our Lifestyle’ to ensure community views and preferences inform decision making about how the 165 kilometers of Shoalhaven coastline is managed now and into the future.

“Coastal erosion is a serious issue for our community and it is important community members understand the issue and its potential impact on them,” said Clr Gash.

“The risk of coastal erosion threatens community facilities and infrastructure, such as beaches, beach access, parks, roads and sewers, as well as private and commercial property, along our coastline, with a potentially negative impact on the tourism industry and our lifestyle.”

“Coastal management is expensive and Council is seeking to understand community preferences for different management options, and in what circumstances those options are supported, so that it can prioritize actions to appropriately manage coastal risks.”

Mayor Gash added that the Council will commence a phone survey from Wednesday to help gauge community preferences and will undertake further community engagement activities up until the middle of the year.

Straight Talk, an independent specialist community engagement consultancy, will be managing the community engagement and will report the outcomes to Council following the close of the project.

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