Revised plans could go to department

A revised Ettalong Beach Reserve Plan of Management and Ettalong Beach Dune Management Plan could be submitted to the Department of Lands for its review for adoption, following a recommendation by Gosford Council officers.

Funding options for foreshore stabilisation works near Lance Webb Reserve may also be investigated as a "high priority".

Council is unlikely to engage a coastal engineer in the near future to study the area laid out in the two plans, as there was no binding recommendation from the department for it to do so.

In a recent response to council, the department stated that the seven-year-old Ettalong Beach - Bangalow St to Picnic Parade Foreshore Management Study and Plan was sufficient to address the coastal processes and identify risks and management options associated with proposed and existing development in the area.

It stated that the plan of management could be adopted "prior to further studies being prepared".

It stated that: "The existing study is considered an acceptable assessment of concerns and makes adequate recommendations for general mitigative measures".

"The existing study is in-depth enough to identify issues and impacts on the local coastal environment.

"It is also the department's position that the recommendations of the 2000 report are generally consistent with the recommendations of the Plan of Management."

"Allowances for global warming, climate change and associated sea level changes have been made in the existing document. However, these issues would also be considered longer term events than cannot be covered by the plan.

"The plan should only attempt to deal with short to medium term issues."

The department said additional studies in preparation of a Review of Environmental Factors or/and Environmental Impact Statement for works should be prepared in association with pending works.

However, the additional studies were "never intended to be a pre-requisite for the adoption of the plan".

The report suggested that council now needed to look "more urgently" at what specific issues in the recommendations require immediate attention such as erosion at Lance Webb Reserve.

The report noted that proposed sand nourishment works, suggested to take place four times over a 50-year period, had not taken place in 2004 as planned.

It stated: "This has not occurred and the level of erosion in the area, especially at Lance Webb Reserve has been exacerbated due to storm and general erosion pressures".

"There is sufficient current information to determine that action inline with the study recommendations is overdue."

Council agenda CIT.22, 7 Aug 2007