Coastal Management
South Australian coastal communities and local councils are facing difficult and costly issues associated with coastal inundation and erosion as extreme weather events become more common. As a result, many councils are undertaking coastal hazard studies and developing coastal zone management plans through their adaptation activities.
These activities inform asset management and land-use planning, along with coastal management works. Current LGA projects that support coastal adaptation efforts include:
- defining the sea level rise problem
- coast protection board updates
- coastal adaptation decision pathways project.
Coastal adaptation guidelines
In 2019-20, with funding support from the Local Government Research and Development Scheme, the LGA SA commissioned Edge Environment to engage with member councils to develop the Local Government Coastal Adaptation Guidelines.
The Coastal Adaptation Guidelines (the Guidelines) aims to provide support to South Australian councils in assessing and quantifying the likely impacts to coastal councils from coastal inundation and erosion as a result of climate change.
The framework seeks to capitalise on actions and decisions that can be made by councils to address local issues. They are based on international and national best practice. The framework focuses on key areas of risks for councils including legal liability, financial impacts, planning and asset management.
Coastal protection board policy
The policy was most recently revised on 29 July 2016.
A copy of this document can be found below.
Coastal Protection Board Policy
Sea level rise
The sea level rise problem definition paper
The LGA response to consultation on the sea level rise problem definition paper
Coastal adaptation decision pathways project
In 2011 the LGA was successful in receiving funds from the then Commonwealth Department of Climate Change and Energy Eficiency under the Coastal Adaptation Decision Support Pathways program.
The LGA project aims to assist Councils assess and quantify the likely impacts from coastal inundation and erosion as a result of climate change on existing assets, and identify decision pathways for a range of adaptation options.
The deliverables from the project are detailed in the attached report and include:
- a review of the likely climate changes and climate change impacts for the Australian coastal zone
- a review of the identified policy options for addressing coastal climate change impacts both in Australia and overseas (Appendix 1 and 2)
- an easy to use decision map to guide decision makers through the steps associated with determining the likely costs and liabilities associated with climate change impacts on existing coastal assets. The accompanying financial simulation model was designed to be a generic pilot financial model for evaluating the costs associated with identified policy and investment options in the coastal zone.
