PORT Stephens Council has been successful in attaining grant funding to the tune of $200,000 from the NSW Government to commence the two final stages of the Port Stephens Coastal Management Program (CMP).

Minister for Local Government Wendy Tuckerman said this critical funding from the Government was needed to support councils essential work, securing the future of the coastal areas and builds on works already undertaken.

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“I’m really excited to see this significant milestone for Port Stephens Council come about, and for the NSW Government to support Council with this funding,” Mrs Tuckerman said.

“These CMPs are partnerships between the Government and Councils, and provide long-term strategies in the management of this estuary.

“Port Stephens is not only a major tourist hot-spot, but is also ecologically significant for the region.”

Stage three and four of the Port Stephens CMP will enable Council to identify hazards and risks to the estuary and the appropriate next steps to manage these, and is funded through the NSW Government Coastal and Estuary Grants Program.

The aim of the program is to increase the resilience of coastal communities and implement actions that improve the health of NSW estuaries.

Funding is provided at a 2:1 ratio, with $2 contributed from the State Government for every $1 provided by Council.

The program provides technical and financial support to local governments to assist them in managing their coastal zone.

The program’s objectives are to support local government in managing the risks from coastal hazards such as coastal erosion, restoring degraded coastal habitats, and improving the health of NSW estuaries, wetlands and littoral rainforests.

Soldiers Point local and Landcare member Cherylle Stone welcomed the funding, but said it was time to “to implement strategies, not continue to assess and plan”.

“Council and State Government should be buying back land subject to inundation and coastal erosion,” she said.

“Essential action is to stop further development on coastal foreshore land like 109 Foreshore Drive.”

Margaret Wilkinson of Corlette said, “It just saddens me that the Sandy Point/Conroy Management Plan took years to be funded – just for the plan – and now it sits on a Council shelf gathering dust!

“They should have defended this existing plan to be part of the Coastal Management Plan now being requested of all Councils in NSW.

“No wonder we despair at the waste of public money. They are just reinventing the wheel.

“That Shoal Bay Road issue has been on my sights for many years and mentioned in many of my comments about the Strategic Asset Management Plan just about every year!

“I have also highlighted in my comments about the options for the Fingal Bay bypass that the first thing that needs doing is for a new road to go in behind Harbourside Haven and link back out onto Government Road past Shoal Bay – even if it means resuming a house or two.

“That iconic corner at Shoal Bay Road/Beach Road and the view of the heads will slip into the ocean in one of these storms and the main link road between Nelson Bay and Shoal Bay/Fingal Bay will be gone!

“They have also toyed around with an elevated pathway which is also critical there and are not listening to the issues a wrong construction at an extremely sensitive spot could present in causing more erosion of that fragile bank,” she said.

By Marian SAMPSON