Around a million and a half years ago the Abrolhos Islands were part of the Mid West mainland; 10,000 years ago, a blink of the eye in geological terms, the coastline was located just off Point Moore. Even today, our coastline continues to change each day, season and year.
But how much do we know about coastal changes and how might such changes affect how we live now and in the future?
The Northern Agricultural Catchments Council (NACC), together with the City of Geraldton-Greenough and Coastwest are embarking on a Coastal Monitoring Program that will help the community and decision makers to better understand our ever changing coastline.
And they’re calling on the community to help to observe and report changes.
“Many people in Geraldton observe changes to our coast every day, while they walk their dogs, go fishing, windsurfing or kiting” said NACC Coastal Project Coordinator Ms Chiara Danese. “This program provides an opportunity for the community to use this information and become involved in the management of our local beaches, through activities such as monthly photographic monitoring”.
The beach monitoring program will be looking for volunteers who are interested in monitoring shoreline changes and like working in small teams. Training workshops will teach basic photographic survey techniques to accurately measure different beach profiles.
Ms Danese said the data collected by volunteers will be used to better manage and protect our beaches, and will give valuable information to other Australian regions and states.
“The program also aims to gather historical maps, photos and stories of coastal change over the decades, making them available to the entire community,” she said.
Anthropologist Riki Porteus, who hails from Dongara and Geraldton, has come on board with NACC to coordinate the project.
“Riki has a wealth of experience working with a diversity of communities, studying communities and their interactions with their biophysical environments, and understanding the requirements of resilient communities in a changing environment,” said Ms Danese. “Not to mention her passion for history, teaching, research, photography and the local coastal environment.”
Ms Porteus said that she looked forward working with Geraldton’s greatest asset - its people - to help better understand our unique coastal environment and contribute towards its proper management for many years to come.
For more information, contact NACC Coastal Monitoring Program Coordinator Riki Porteus at cmpc@nacc.com.au or 9956 6189.
This project is supported by NACC, the City of Geraldton-Greenough, Coastwest (WA State Department of Planning) and Caring for Our Country.