Coastal plan on exhibition

Gosford Council has placed its Draft Coastal Zone Management Plan for the Brisbane Water Estuary Plan on public exhibition and will accept submissions up until Friday, January 27.

The Draft Brisbane Water Estuary Plan focuses on the environmental health of Brisbane Water, its foreshores and catchments.

The plan was previously placed on public exhibition in June-July and was amended following public comment.

It has been re-exhibited to allow summer residents, visitors and users of the estuary to provide input into the sustainability of future use.

Gosford Council's senior environment planning officer Mr Tim Macdonald said the plan included a series of actions to help improve the natural estuarine environment into the future.

"With such high use of the area from across the community, the plan will assist in governing activity on Brisbane Water and minimising current and future pressures on the health of the estuary and surrounding areas.

"The main aims of the plan are to protect, rehabilitate and improve the natural estuarine environment, encourage ecologically sustainable development and to support appropriate recreational use of Brisbane Water.

"We want the public to be able to utilise this valuable natural resource and this is a step in the direction of achieving that," said Mr Macdonald.

Council is expected to undertake a separate consultation in the New Year on its Brisbane Water Flood Plan which would will on the management of the estuary from the perspective of risk to human life and damage to property from flooding, including sea level rise.

The Draft Brisbane Water Estuary Plan is able to be viewed on Council's website at or at Council's Customer Service Centre in Woy Woy.

Media Release, 16 Dec 2011 Tim Macdonald, Gosford Council