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Draft Coastal Adaptation Plan
We have developed a draft Coastal Adaptation Plan to outline how the City of Onkaparinga will manage changes to our coastline over coming years – and we’re now looking for your feedback.
Background
Our beaches, foreshores and coastline are our most visited open spaces and our community tell us that they’re one of the best things about living here.
The City of Onkaparinga has a long history of taking action to care for our coast, ranging from softer measures such as replenishing dunes and revegetation, to harder works such as the construction of rock walls and stabilising eroding cliffs.
Our long history of proactive coastal action means that we have built a solid foundation upon which to respond to future coastal hazards and climate risks.
However, we know that the rate of coastal change will increase in the future because of sea level rise and increased storm activity. These are expected to worsen the existing coastal hazards of erosion and inundation, which is why we are planning for it now.
About the draft Coastal Adaptation Plan
The draft Coastal Adaptation Plan outlines how the City of Onkaparinga will manage changes to our coastline over time. It explains how we will respond to the impacts of climate change on our coast, and details four specific goals to be achieved through 25 separate actions for the next seven years. The plan includes actions that are cost-effective, appropriate and mindful of community expectations.
While this plan will guide approaches to 2030, it has been informed by research, investigations and risk assessments that have considered possible changes up to 2100. This recognises the long-term nature of coastal change, the long lifespan of things we build near the coast, and the advantages of taking proactive and early action.
This plan is the culmination of research and investigations over a number of years, including:
- Engaging with our community to understand their priorities
- Preparing a detailed Coastal Adaptation Study between 2018 to 2021 which provided a baseline understanding of how the coast currently operates, and assessed the risks and vulnerabilities from sea level rise
- Undertaking an Options Analysis in 2023 to identify, evaluate, and prioritise the options available to us in responding to the risks identified in the Coastal Adaptation Study.
- Community engagement on the identified options for eight higher risk locations.
We are taking an evidence-based approach to make sure we are taking the right actions in the right locations so we can continue to enjoy the things we love about our coast.
You can find more information in the draft Coastal Adaptation Plan FAQ.
This plan is just another step in an ongoing journey of coastal adaptation that is likely to take place over the coming years, decades, and even centuries.
Consultation on the draft plan was open between 12 March and 2 April 2024.
Please note that the draft Coastal Adaptation Plan we are engaged on has not been graphically designed and formatted, this will be done when the plan is finalised.
What happens next
The valuable feedback we receive from the community will be considered when finalising the Coastal Adaptation Plan. The plan will be graphically designed and then be presented to Council for final approval. Once the plan is approved, we move into implementation phase, deliver the actions within the plan, and use it to guide decision making about how we can look after our coastline.
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