Shoalhaven Council secures coastal projects funding

Shoalhaven Council has been awarded more than $900,000 in funding from the NSW Government to help manage and protect the Shoalhaven coastline.

Shoalhaven secured the funding through the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Waters (DCCEEW) Coastal and Estuary grants program to undertake work on eight separate projects from Kioloa in the south to Shoalhaven Heads in the north.

Mayor Patricia White said that she was pleased the funding would allow Council to address a variety of coastal hazards and undertake thorough investigations into the condition of existing coastal infrastructure and assets to determine any maintenance required. 

“We know storms are becoming more frequent and more severe, and these natural processes are having a lasting impact on our coastline and communities,” Cr White said.

“This funding is vital as it will enable us to better understand the extent of the impact and undertake the work necessary to safeguard our coastal areas and strengthen their resilience for the future.”

The local projects that were funded include:

• $276,669 – improve coastal erosion resilience – Boat Harbor, Bendalong,
• $37,500 – foreshore nourishment and revegetation work – Burrill Lake,
• $146,667 – coastal hazard management investigations – Callala Bay and Currarong,
• $50,001 – coastal protection works – Callala Bay Sailing School,
• $100,000 – establish coastal asset management review and monitoring program,
•  $26,666 – estuary entrance management feasibility investigations – Mollymook Beach, Manyana Beach, and Hyams Beach,
• $205,000 – implementation of priority cliffs and slope hazard reduction infrastructure across Shoalhaven Local Government Area (LGA),
• $70,000 – Shoalhaven coastal protection structure condition assessment and evaluation.

Work has started on each of these projects and is expected to be complete within the next three years, the Council said.