Project update: December 13, 2023

Council adopts a plan to safeguard our coast

At today’s ordinary council meeting (December 13), council adopted a proactive plan to ensure the region’s coastal communities are as prepared as possible for the impacts of climate change.

The Mackay Coast Our Future – Coastal Hazard Adaptation Study identifies coastal hazards that may impact our region both now and into the future including erosion, coastal flooding and rising sea levels.

Mayor Greg Williamson said the study also identified adaptation options to mitigate the risks associated with these coastal hazards.

“The study guides land use planning and investment in infrastructure, ensuring that the values of our coastal areas and the contribution they make to the community’s way of life are protected,” Mayor Williamson said.

“It analyses the risks different coastal hazards pose in each of our regions and identifies adaptation options that may be suitable to mitigate the risks associated with them,” he said.

“From groynes and seawalls, to increased vegetation on the foreshore and everything in between, there are a range of adaptation options that have been considered for our coastal areas.

“It is important that we have a shared understanding and focus when responding to coastal hazards, given the importance these areas have to our way of life.

“That is why we conducted extensive community consultation in producing this document.

“We need everyone in the community to understand and prepare for the impact these coastal hazards may have on local communities, the environment, our cultural values and the built assets in our coastal areas.”

Mackay Coast Our Future is funded under the QCoast2100 program, which is funded by the State Government and administered in partnership with the Local Government Association of Queensland.

Click here to read the study and learn more about Mackay Coast Our Future.