Central Coast Council met on Tuesday , May 6 and voted to ask the NSW Premier to declare a State of Emergency for the Central Coast’s beaches by 3pm Friday, May 9.
The Premier didn’t answer the letter by Council’s deadline.
At 5pm on May 9 Council issued a press release to say it had called a second Extraordinary Council Meeting for 4pm Tuesday, May 13.
“This Meeting has been called as Council has received no response, at the time of writing, from the Premier of NSW to Council’s urgent request for a State of Emergency to be called in relation to the critical erosion situation at The Entrance North and Wamberal beach,” the press release states.
But Council’s urgent request did not specifically mention The Entrance North or Wamberal Beach: the final wording requested the declaration be for “all Central Coast Beaches” on the amendment of a councillor.
Wamberal and the Entrance North were never mentioned in the adopted motion.
The motion did not say the urgent request was for those two beaches in particular.
“While Council has not received a response from the Premier, Council has been in contact with the Minister for the Central Coast and other Government agencies and is hopeful a meeting will be scheduled in the near future to try to find solutions to this urgent situation,” Council said.
In the meantime, it will hold another Extraordinary Council meeting
from 4pm next Tuesday at Wyong Council Chambers, 2 Hely Street, Wyong.
Council was probably not expecting the Premier to meet the deadline: it foreshadowed the second meeting at the first, saying it would be used for staff to report on possible solutions and for council to decide on actions – if it hadn’t heard from the Premier.
State Member for Wyong David Harris has said there are established guidelines for emergency declarations which are based on certified Coastal Management Plans and Sub Plans.
“Central Coast Council hasn’t done the work – their plans are not complete nor certified,” Mr Harris said.
“If they were, this would be a lot less difficult.
“In other places, permission is granted for works in line with the certified plans.
“If no Plan exists, then residents are required to seek a development application.
“Councillors are seeking to suspend all planning and environmental laws so residents can take their own action. This is risky, hence the caution by government.”
Strategy 7.9 of the Central Coast Regional Plan 2041 says the Local strategic planning will:
• map areas that are projected to be affected
by sea level rise and other coastal hazards
to limit the potential exposure of new
development to these hazards
• be consistent with any relevant coastal
management program adopted and certified
for that area
• consider opportunities to adapt existing
settlements at risk of exposure to sea level
rise and coastal hazards in accordance with
the NSW Coastal Management Framework,
such as:
– raising houses and roads
– relocating or adapting infrastructure
to mange coastal hazard risks, such as
ingress of tidal water into stormwater
systems and/or
– undertaking beach nourishment
• consider opportunities to maintain natural
coastal defences against sea level rise,
such as:
coastal defences against sea level rise,
such as:
– raising houses and roads
– relocating or adapting infrastructure
to mange coastal hazard risks, such as
ingress of tidal water into stormwater
systems and/or
– undertaking beach nourishment
• consider opportunities to maintain natural
coastal defences against sea level rise,
such as:
– maintaining or expanding coastal and
riparian buffer zones
– replanting and protecting coastal
dune systems
– fencing creeks and rivers to keep livestock
out, limit erosion and protect water quality
– controlling invasive species and/or
– protecting and restoring mangroves
and salt marsh areas to limit flooding,
inundation and erosion.
– relocating or adapting infrastructure
to mange coastal hazard risks, such as
ingress of tidal water into stormwater
systems and/or
– undertaking beach nourishment
• consider opportunities to maintain natural
coastal defences against sea level rise,
such as:
– maintaining or expanding coastal and
riparian buffer zones
– replanting and protecting coastal
dune systems
– fencing creeks and rivers to keep livestock
out, limit erosion and protect water quality
– controlling invasive species and/or
– protecting and restoring mangroves
and salt marsh areas to limit flooding,
inundation and erosion.
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