Under the State Government plan, residents would have more power to build sea walls and barriers.

At the same time 19 coastal hotspots were named, with Callala, Mollymook and Batemans Bay named alongside beachside areas in Sydney and the Central and North coasts.

Shoalhaven City Council’s Director Strategic Planning Ernie Royston said the building of sea walls, particularly on public property, was not current policy but something that could be examined in the future.

He said there was nothing now to stop council from allowing private residents to build sea walls.

However, like most developments, the building of a sea wall would need to be fully investigated.

Mr Royston said potentially adverse impacts on both sides of the wall would have to be fully investigated.

He added council has its own coastal infrastructure that it needed to protect.

The coastal climate change issue is a complex one and Mr Royton said it was something all three tiers of government were grappling with.

Consensus on the issue is something Mr Royston and other councils would like to see.

Mr Royston said council was doing everything in its power to ensure property and residents had protection.

“We have done really well and finished our coastal mapping before the state government released its plan,” he said.

For some time, Shoalhaven City Council has been investigating climate change and recently revised and updated its coastal erosion hazard study, which is available on its website.

However, NSW Minister for Climate Change and the Environment John Robertson said some councils were not doing enough.

“Some councils have been working on their coastal management plans for over a decade when action is required now,” Mr Robertson said.

“We already have the NSW Coastal Policy and Coastal Protection Act but it’s clear that new tools and approaches are required.”

The new plan would allow residents to bypass council and go straight to the State Government and get approval to build a sea wall.

The NSW Government announced it would introduce new measures for areas affected by coastal erosion to clarify the rights of councils and property owners and minimise the risk to taxpayers.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government will release its report on the effects of climate change on coastal communities next week.