Coastal & Marine - NACC - Northern Agricultural Catchments Council

From North of Kalbarri to South of Guilderton and stretching across to the Abrolhos Islands, this region showcases some of WA’s most spectacular coastal ecosystems.

These environments offer rich recreational and commercial opportunities to local communities and visitors. But climate change, urban development, industry and tourism are putting a strain on our unique coastal ecosystems.

NACC is enriching the community’s awareness of the vital part our coastal ecosystems play in maintaining a healthy community and economy.

The NACC coastal team is working with the community, local and state government, educational institutes and Aboriginal groups to conserve, rehabilitate and monitor the region’s coast. By collaborating with others the NACC coastal team will continue to work towards protecting our environment for the health and wellbeing of future generations.

Coastal Restoration

The coastal environment plays an important role in the ecological, cultural and economic value of the region. In particular, the native vegetation significantly contributes towards the recreational and tourism amenity of the area, as well as providing significant ecosystem services. However, the coastal ecosystem and its unique biodiversity is currently under threat.

NACC’s Coastal Restoration program is working to support the management and re-establishment of the regions marine and coastal environment.

Community Engagement & Capacity Building

The Coastal and Marine Program can provide support to any community group concerned with looking after our coasts, estuaries and oceans in the NAR. NACC’s Coastal and Marine Community Engagement Strategy sets out to define the support we can offer.

Examples of the type of support that our team can provide includes:

Project delivery advice including ecosystems and species information, in addition to best practice revegetation and rehabilitation techniques
Grant application advice including linking information with relevant project professionals
Assist in relationship building between key stakeholders
Support community initiative and events
Provide groups with advice and assistance with strategic and long term planning

Coastal Adaptation Planning

NACC works in partnership with local government to develop Coastal Hazard Risk and Adaptation Management Plans to manage land impacted by coastal processes such as, climate change, water levels and stormwater runoff.

These partnerships demonstrate a commitment to take an integrated, informed and measured approach to better understand appropriate locations for future development and placement of coastal infrastructure.

This coastal planning is crucial in the Northern Agricultural Region (NAR) as the majority of settlements that are located along the regions coastline are on low-lying sandy coastal landforms and as such are heavily impacted on by coastal processes. These coastal processes are the principle source of risk in the coastal zone and generate significant hazards to coastal land and assets.

Coastal hazard risk and adaptation management plans are becoming more critical not just in the NAR but Australia wide, with more than 85 per cent of Australia’s population living within 50km of our coasts and as the impacts of climate change and sea level rise upon our coastal towns increase.

The Coastal Hazard Risk and Adaption Managements Plans are based on the State Government’s State Planning Policy 2.6 – State Coastal Planning Policy. The policy requires development proposals to be considered in the context of coastal hazard risk management and adaption planning undertaken by the responsible authority or proponent of the development. The policy is accompanied by guidelines that outline the recommended process for such planning

To help local governments, NRM and community groups tackle coastal issues, the Department of Planning (DoP) provides assistance through the Coastal Management Plan Assistance Program, while the Department of Transport funds the Climate Adaptation and Protection grants program.