Outer Sydney Harbour Coastal Management Program

The Sydney Coastal Councils Group (SCCG) has initiated the development of a coastal management program (CMP) for outer Sydney Harbour. Specifically, the SCCG will undertake a CMP for stages 2-4 in line with the staged approach to CMPs as described by the NSW Coastal Management Framework and shown below.

What is a CMP?

CMPs are designed to set out a long-term strategy for the coordinated management of the coast. CMPs identify coastal risks and opportunities, evaluate options to address those risks and opportunities, and recommend actions that can be implemented by councils and state agencies.

*Note that Professor Bruce Thom is no longer a member of the NSW Coastal Council.

The study area for the Outer Sydney Harbour CMP is the coastal zone that extends eastwards from the confluence of the Parramatta River and Lane Cove River to the harbour entrance between North and South Head. It encompasses Port Jackson and Middle Harbour extending northwards to the tidal limit of Middle Harbour Creek. It crosses seven local government areas and includes parts of Sydney Harbour National Park and Garigal National Park.

The CMP will focus on the harbour foreshore and issues directly relevant to and under the control of participating councils as well as key state agencies like National Parks & Wildlife Service and Sydney Water. Stormwater and sewage pollution, litter, coastal inundation and degraded seawalls are key issues to be addressed.

Opportunities and options for site- or LGA-specific actions related to water quality improvement, litter prevention, beach management and coastal wetland and rainforest management will be identified. Coordinated and regionally consistent approaches to coastal adaptation, seawalls, emergency management and monitoring will also be developed. The CMP will draw on work undertaken as part of Greater Sydney Harbour CMP Stages 1 and 2.

SCCG has recently accepted an offer of $369,121 in grant funding from the NSW Coastal & Estuary Grants Program to undertake CMP Stage 2-4.  This will be combined with financial contributions from eight partner councils and the NPWS and used to engage a specialist consultant to undertake the bulk of the work required.

The consultant is expected to commence in early to mid-2025.  The work is expected to take approximately three years to complete.

Further announcements will be made on how the local community and relevant stakeholders can get involved during the development of the CMP.