Bush regeneration needed for creeks, says ACF group
The Central Coast branch of the Australian Conservation Foundation has called on Central Coast Council to increase funding for bush regeneration of riparian zones from Correa Bay to Mt Ettalong.
It has also asked the council to consider buyback of flood-prone property.
The call follows the release last week of a report by the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute entitled Integrating Housing Policy, Settlement Planning and Disaster Management.
The report has found that governments need to map land due for retreat and develop a database of land suitable for resettlement, according to the ACF group convenor Mr Mark Ellis.
He said the council's most recent flood report suggested education around the issue of flooding but ignored the indicators affecting the Kahibah Creek and Iluka Lagoon.
"Property buyback was not mentioned even though the area is surrounded by high-risk residential property exposed to rising sea levels and storm surges," he said.
"With recent flash flooding on the Peninsula, the question is: What are the council and State Government doing to adapt the surrounding residential areas to the issue of flooding from extreme weather and to address the riparian zones of the Peninsula, which are either choked by weed growth or suffering eroding the banks."
Mr Ellis said bush regeneration was needed in these areas, which include Kahibah Creek and its tributaries, to better prepare for increased rainfall and floods due to climate change.
He said that one of the authors RMIT University researcher Dr Annette Kroen recently stated that many long-term residents were unaware of future risks.
"Instead, they assess risk based on previous experience not the increasing risk from climate change impacts."
SOURCE:
Media release, 21 Feb 2025
Mark Ellis, CCACF