Council seeking community feedback on management of coastal erosion
www.ourcoastourlifestyle.com.au
Shoalhaven City Council has a responsibility for managing the risk of coastal erosion along the Shoalhaven coastline and is seeking input from the community regarding available management options.
Mayor Joanna Gash said Council is launching a community engagement initiative title ‘Our Coast, Our Lifestyle’ to ensure community views and preferences inform decision making about how the 165 kilometres of Shoalhaven coastline is managed now and into the future.
“Coastal erosion is a serious issue for our community and it is important community members understand the issue and its potential impact on them,” said Clr Gash.
“Our coastline supports a strong tourism industry which is one of the key drivers of the local economy and a foundation of our Shoalhaven lifestyle.”
“The risk of coastal erosion threatens community facilities and infrastructure, such as beaches, beach access, parks, roads and sewers, as well as private and commercial property, along our coastline, with a potentially negative impact on the tourism industry and our lifestyle.”
“Coastal management is expensive and Council is seeking to understand community preferences for different management options, and in what circumstances those options are supported, so that it can prioritise actions to appropriately manage coastal risks.”
“The Shoalhaven coastline belongs to everyone and one way or another it influences the lifestyle of us all.”
“Council is keen to hear from all members of the community on this issue, irrespective of where in the Shoalhaven they live and work.”
“I encourage anyone who wants to get involved, give feedback or simply find out more about the risk of coastal erosion to visit the Our Coast, Our Lifestyle website,” Clr Gash said.
Mayor Gash said Council will commence a phone survey from Wednesday to help gauge community preferences and will undertake further community engagement activities up until the middle of the year.
Straight Talk, an independent specialist community engagement consultancy will be managing the community engagement and will report the outcomes to Council following the close of the project.
Further information is available at http://www.ourcoastourlifestyle.com.au/
CONTACT: Mayor, Joanna Gash - 0427 160 170