Mayor criticised on sea level rise

Coastal Residents Inc has criticised Gosford mayor Cr Laurie Maher for having double standards on sea level rise.

It has also called on him to identify who he claimed was spreading misinformation and fear about council sea level policies for Woy Woy and Empire Bay.

Coastal Residents secretary Mr Pat Aiken said Cr Maher recently asserted the Central Coast region was the most at-risk community to the impacts of sea level rise in NSW but, at the same time, supported a massive high-rise development on the Gosford waterfront.

"This is one of the most flood prone areas in the region and provides the benchmark flood planning level for all of Brisbane Water," said Mr Aiken.

"Areas that are predicted to become inundated by 2100 are generally those suburbs already considered flood prone but very little flood protection works have been provided in almost 40 years since the 1974 floods around Brisbane Water," he said.

The predictions of coastal flooding are calculated by adding 900mm for sea level rise to the current one in 100 year flood level, "a highly uncertain prediction combined with another prediction and claimed to occur within 90 years," said Mr Aiken.

"Gosford Council's projections are based on a rise in sea levels of 10mm per year global average or 900mm by 2100.

"But according to NSW State Government agency, Manly Hydraulics Laboratory, sea level rise records from Fort Denison have averaged less than 1mm per year for over 100 years and 0.4mm for the last 20 years," said Mr Aiken.

"Gosford Council identified 9000 properties as potentially affected by sea level rise but most of these properties will not be adversely affected.

"Gosford Council has grossly exaggerated the impact of sea level rise.

"The more likely figure is around 3000 properties being adversely affected if sea levels rise by 900mm and far less if Fort Denison observations are considered," he said.

The group has also called on Cr Maher to identify the landowners who he said claimed that Gosford Council had made a decision to retreat from Woy Woy and Empire Bay due to sea level rise.

The group says Cr Maher had criticised a minority of landowners who had spread misinformation and fear amongst the community by making the claim.

Mr Aiken said that Cr Maher had written to Cr Chris Holstein in December, stating "this is not the case and it is inconsistent with Council's policy commitments".

Coastal Residents Inc has also requested that the Draft Inundation Study prepared for Gosford Council by Cardno "be explained through the public forums promised for the last two years".

Email, 2 Feb 2012 Pat Aiken, Coastal Residents Inc