Dufour M2, Churchill J1, Wardley R1
1Baird Australia,
2City of Greater Geraldton
Abstract:
The City of Greater Geraldton is a coastal community of approximately 40,000 people located 400 km north of Perth in Western Australia. The coastal areas which range from natural beaches to marinas and port infrastructure are key for the local community and local industry, supporting a wide range of leisure activities and a diverse economy valued at over $5 billion.
The City is facing the adverse impacts of coastal erosion and inundation along its coastlines, with the vulnerability of land use and development within the coastal zone expected to increase in the future under projected climate change and sea level rise. In accordance with Western Australia’s State Planning Policy 2.6 – State Coastal Planning Policy (SPP2.6), a coastal hazard risk management and adaptation planning (CHRMAP) project was completed for the City to guide decision-making for its coastal areas. The CHRMAP was developed in consultation with the City, the local community and a range of stakeholders, providing recommendations to guide current and future coastal infrastructure needs and statutory planning controls.
This presentation will summarise the CHRMAP delivery and outcomes, with an emphasis on the process of gaining acceptance of the outcomes at the community level and with elected members of Council including challenges faced along the way, such as funding of adaptation options. A summary of the actions taken by the City following the adoption of the CHRMAP will be presented including specialist studies aimed at better understanding the erosion and inundation risk and work to build resilience in the shoreline.
Biography:
Jim is a Coastal Engineer with over 10 years experience in Western Australia. His work has covered many of the regional areas of the State of Western Australia, with a focus on coastal processes investigations, assessment of coastal hazard and managing coastal risk