Tell Us Why You Care

Corindi River and Pipe Clay Lake Estuaries are significant coastal features and Council wants to know what the locals value about these waterways so we can help make them even better.

This community feedback will form an important part of a new Coastal Management Program (CMP), which has been funded through a grant from the NSW Department of Planning Industry and Environment.

“The beauty of our local environment is a key part of what draws people to our region,” said Sharon Smith, Council’s Section Leader Local Planning. “By putting well-researched strategies in place to protect important coastal features, we are not only safeguarding our environment, but also helping maintain the attractions that bring people here to live or visit.”

Council is working with specialist coastal management consultants on the study, which will include key stakeholder, as well as wider community consultation.

The Coastal Management Program will consider estuary and catchment health issues such as bank erosion, water quality, catchment and sediment inflows, as well as recreational opportunities.

“The key to ensuring the continued health and protection of these estuaries is to achieve a balance between the community’s needs and the environment’s – and that’s what the Management Program will seek to do,” added Ms Smith. “We’d like anybody who is interested in, values, or lives near these estuaries to have a say in their management. Of particular interest is knowing what people think is great about the estuaries and what would make them even better and also what concerns do locals have and how could the overall management of the estuaries and catchment be improved?”

A survey has been developed for people to provide feedback. I can be found at https://haveyoursay.coffsharbour.nsw.gov.au/Corindi_River_Pipe_Clay_Lake_Coastal_Management_Program The survey is open until August 28 2019.

Under a new Coastal Management Framework required by the NSW Government, Stage One of the CMP process is to conduct a scoping study, which outlines the strategic context, reviews current management arrangements and sets forward a path for carrying out the Program.

This Scoping Study Stage is the first of five in the CMP process. Stages Two to Four will involve identifying threats and pressures impacting on the estuaries and developing targeted management actions to address them. Stage Five will focus on implementation. It is expected that the CMP will be finalised in late 2020.

The community will be asked for further involvement throughout Stages Two to Four through community drop-in sessions, which are set to take place in 2020.

For more information on the project, please go to https://haveyoursay.coffsharbour.nsw.gov.au/Corindi_River_Pipe_Clay_Lake_Coastal_Management_Program

The Corindi River and Pipe Clay Lake Estuaries Coastal Management Program CMP will become part of Council’s network of management plans that ensure the best practice management of our estuaries, foreshores and wider catchments.