Coastal Hazard Assessment Study not up

Hans Lovejoy

Council staff have rejected a request by a councillor to be better informed around a major technical investigation that will underpin the Shire’s Coastal Management Programs (CMPs).

Surprisingly, both councillor and/or public knowledge on the important document is considered by staff as being potentially ‘influential’ which is ‘not the function of the community nor members of Council’s Coast and ICOLL Advisory Committee’.

According to www. environment.nsw.gov.au, CMPs set the long-term strategy for the co-ordinated management of the coast, with a focus on achieving the objectives of the Coastal Management Act 2016

Byron Council has a long history of CMPs that have failed to be adopted by the state government, for various reasons.

Within the upcoming June 22 Council agenda, Cr Duncan Dey, who is a hydrologist, put a motion forward which asks that, ‘Council seeks advice from the Coast and ICOLL Advisory Committee, on the soon-tobe-released Coastal Hazard Assessment (CHA) Study prior to adopting the Study’.

That study, according to staff, ‘aims to quantify the coastal processes operating on the Byron Shire coastline and the nature and extent of exposure to coastal hazards and threats to public and private assets (both natural and built)’.

‘The CHA study is the third major investigation into coastal processes, sand movements and hazards in the Byron region’.

In reply to Cr Dey’s motion, Chloe Dowsett, coast and biodiversity coordinator, said, ‘It is not statutorily required for “consultation or public exhibition” during the staged process of CMP development’.

The Echo asked Ms Dowsett why she does not support the public being given an opportunity to review and comment on this document prior to adoption by Council.

As of going to press, there was no reply, despite the question being acknowledged by Council’s media spokesperson.

Dowsett also said in the report, ‘The draft report is presently being technically peer reviewed by a coastal expert and the Department of Planning and Environment. Review comments on the draft will be considered by Bluecoast, with the final report expected in July 2023’.

The Echo also asked for the name of the ‘coastal expert’.

Cr Dey writes in the agenda, ‘The idea that councillors can determine the suitability of the Coastal Hazard Assessment Study 2023 without canvassing the views of our community flies in the face of transparency’.

‘The community of Byron Shire is deeply versed in “coast”.

‘I recommend a different approach, one where we listen to the views of our community (as diverse as those views might be)’.