The council is calling out to the community to help prepare the Shoalhaven for future coastal hazards, such as erosion.
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Have your say and get involved with the Shoalhaven's coastal management plans.
The Shoalhaven City Council is preparing to identify and protect vulnerable beaches, headlands and shorelines, after recent hazardous ocean conditions have led to significant erosion at Shoalhaven Heads.
The council said a coastal management program is a long-term strategy for managing the coastal regions in the face of future climate risks.
The program will provide the framework and strategy that will be used to manage our coastlines and estuaries.
Mayor Amanda Findley said there were consistent community concerns centered around beach access, the health of coastal waterways, and protecting property and infrastructure from coastal hazards.
"The coastal landscape of Shoalhaven is a treasured natural, social, and economic asset for the community and visitors alike," she said.
"We are calling on the community to have their say and help us plan how we manage these precious coastal areas for future generations," Mayor Findley said.
Mayor Findley said the council manages 40 of 109 beaches, as well as 11 of the 15 lakes and estuaries, across the Shoalhaven.
Over the next five years, the council will develop coastal management plans for specific sites.
They will be developed in accordance with the Coastal Management Program Legislation and guided by the NSW State Government's Coastal Management Manual.
In August 2021, the council placed temporary safety fencing and associated warning signage at Shoalhaven Heads.
Other safety measures implemented by the council include regrading the steep dune escarpment at the access track south of the surf club and the temporary closure of the northern and central access tracks with semi-permanent barricading.
The council was continuing to monitor the area and will be engaging a contractor to undertake medium term erosion mitigation measures including dune reshaping and rehabilitation works in the coming months.
For more information, or to have your say, visit the council's Get Involved page on Coastal Management Plan.
