Bonville and Pine Creek Coastal Management Program to go to NSW Government

The Bonville and Pine Creek Coastal Management Program (CMP) has been adopted by Council and is to go to the State Government for endorsement.

The Bonville Pine Creek CMP was developed following extensive community and stakeholder consultation to identify the values and significance of the Bonville and Pine Creek Estuary.

The primary purpose of the Program is to set out the long-term strategy for coordinated management of the Estuary to meet local community needs in the short term and identify risks in the longer term.

“This is an important estuarine system that has many regular users and plays a key part in the life of the Sawtell and wider Coffs Harbour communities,” said Sally Whitelaw, Council’s Team Leader Biodiversity Coastal and Flooding.

“Some of the key management objectives outlined in the CMP include improving and maintaining water quality, improving community facilities and amenity, preserving and protecting natural and cultural heritage and supporting the ongoing use of the estuary as an educational resource and for research.”

A series of actions and a program for implementation over the next 10 years is included in the Program. It outlines prioritised management actions which aim to achieve ecologically sustainable development for the social, cultural and economic well-being of the people in the catchment area and state.

A long list of management options was initially developed, and then refined to a shortlist of actions post stakeholder and community consultation.

Some of the key management considerations include:

Estuary Entrance Behaviour Investigation; Community Education Program; Community Conservation and Restoration Programs; Coastal Inundation Monitoring; Climate Change Adaptation; Bank Stability Projects; Condition Assessment of Coastal Protection Works; EcoHealth Monitoring Program; Stormwater Management Assets; and Environmental Protection Works, among others.

Once the CMP is adopted and certified by the State Government, Council will be able to seek funds for the management actions to be implemented from the NSW Government’s Coast and Estuary Grants Program.