Foreshore Protection Management

Enhancing and Restoring Threatened Ecological Communities in Estuaries

Council received grant funding from the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water earlier this year to undertake weed control and revegetation works in a number of Threatened Ecological Communities (TECs) identified in several Shoalhaven estuaries. These TECs were mapped by Council through another grant funded project in 2022 that identified locations where TECs were at risk from coastal hazards such as tidal flooding and erosion.

Works are being undertaken within three main TECs – the Swamp Oak Floodplain Forest, Bangalay Sand Forest and Coastal Saltmarsh. The works to be completed under this project involve weed control activities for woody and herbaceous weeds and revegetation. These works are to be completed over the life of the three-year grant funding to allow greater success in managing weeds and supporting new vegetation to establish. These works form part of the regular operations and activities in Council’s management of natural areas and support the management objectives for the land where works are scheduled.

Sites for these works include:

· Lake Conjola (Fisherman’s Paradise, Cunjurong Point and Lake Conjola Entrance)

· Sussex Inlet and St Georges Basin (Opposite Fairview Crescent and The Basin Walking Track)

· Swan Lake Foreshore

· Crookhaven River (Orient Point and Curley’s Bay adjacent to the Culburra Skate Park)

Consultation on these works has been undertaken throughout the development of Council’s various Coastal Management Programs (CMPs). The CMPs have identified that works to improve the condition of sensitive TECs in coastal environments provide an opportunity to reduce the risk of exposure to coastal hazards within these estuaries while also supporting local biodiversity.

If you have questions about these works, please contact the Coastal Management Unit at coastal.management@shoalhaven.nsw.gov.au or call Council on 1300 293 111.

Shoalhaven City Council has completed repairs to the beach access track at Inyadda Beach. The beach access track was in a degraded condition after having been severely impacted on by stormwater runoff. This resulted in erosion along the track and a deep scour at the end of the track. This project involved the repair of the beach access track via removal of damaged infrastructure and implementation of surface drainage earth works and associated revegetation activities for the purposes of public safety and environmental risk mitigation. This work has provided improved accessibility to Inyadda Beach.

Facilitation of functional public beach access from the main carpark off Lorikeet Lane has been enabled, providing enhanced public amenity, while meeting Councils obligations in terms of the management of safety and quality. The works have also provided improved protection for the natural environment, through clear access delineation and associated repair activities which aim to mitigate the impacts of erosion on the surrounding native coastal vegetation.

The patience from the community regarding the delivery of this critical repair work has been greatly appreciated. Works have been completed, and the track has been reopened for community use.

Shoalhaven City Council (Council) has recently completed extensive coastal dune regeneration works supported by the NSW Government’s Coast and Estuaries Grant Program at Mollymook and Narrawallee Beaches.

Works were undertaken via a yearlong contracted engagement and involved management of coastal dune systems and foreshore areas at Mollymook and Narrawallee via weed control, revegetation, beach access track renewal, and associated monitoring and maintenance. The project was delivered to support long term biodiversity and foreshore resilience outcomes across areas exposed to coastal hazards. Significant positive impacts on environmental resilience, coastal protection, and associated environmental and amenity preservation has been realised because of this project.

Delivery of this project represented the highest standard of planning and delivery of coastal dune management in highly valued and utilised public coastal areas, and has provided a great outcome for the local environment and communities.

Since successful completion of works at Mollymook and Narrawallee beaches over the 12 months prior to October 2024, Council has now commenced dune care programs at some of Councils other managed coastal foreshore areas. These programs are being undertaking under a new grant supported project from the NSW Government’s Coast and Estuaries Grant Program that will span over a three-year time frame toward mid to late 2027.

The purpose of the dune care program now commenced is to both enhance the dune systems resilience to coastal hazards, and to improve local biodiversity by promoting endemic dune vegetation. The targeted localities represent some of the most popular areas within the Local Government area, where due to proximity to dense urban and social setting are also subject to significant exposure to human and environmental impacts. Target sites include areas of Council managed foreshore reserves at the following regions and beaches:

• Northern Region - Shoalhaven Heads, Culburra, Warrain, and Currarong Beaches.
• Jervis Bay Region - Collingwood, Huskisson, Hyams, Callala Bay, Callala Beach and Nelsons Beaches.
• Sussex/Conjola Region – This area encompasses Council managed beaches between Sussex inlet (North Cudmirrah Beach) to Conjola beach in the south.
• Ulladulla Region - Council managed beaches between Narrawallee in the north and Tabourie in the south.
• Southern Region - Council managed beaches within Bawley Point / Kioloa area.

Works to be complete involve pedestrian beach access management and dune regeneration involving environmental weed management and revegetation. The project will be delivered by Councils Coastal Management Unit through the engagement of specialist contracted services in close collaboration with grant partners from the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.

The project aligns with the actions of management determined under Councils now gazetted Coastal Management Program (CMP) for the Open Coast and Jervis Bay. The project hence aligns significantly with the objectives of Council, the NSW Government and agency stakeholders in accordance with applicable legislation, and community stakeholder values and interest.

The Coastal Management Unit, in collaboration with the Kioloa Bushcare group and a Council contractor, recently completed vital revegetation work at Kioloa Beach.

This project involved planting coastal dune vegetation, installing fencing and formalising beach access.

After a successful working bee, where 500 plants were installed, the contractor reported an impressive 98% survival rate.

This could not have been achieved without the dedication of the Kioloa Bushcare group. Their efforts ensure the resilience of this sensitive coastal environment against erosion and human impact.

This project has received financial and technical assistance from the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) – Coastal and Estuary Grants Program.

Over the past year, Shoalhaven City Council has successfully completed a series of Coastal Protection works at Shoalhaven Heads in response to significant erosion events that have impacted the site since late 2021. The initiative included beach nourishment activities, ongoing management of fencing, and strategic revegetation efforts.

The most recent stage of works, completed in October 2023, addressed erosion events impacting public access to the area. Through beach nourishment, weed control, and revegetation, the works complete mitigated immediate risk to public and the coastal environment.

These efforts were made possible with the support of the NSW Government’s Coast and Estuaries Grant Program, showcasing a 1:1 funding agreement with Shoalhaven City Council. Successful coastal management implemented at this location has ensured successful outcomes for the community and improved resilience of our valued coastal area. Council acknowledges the contribution of all stakeholders involved.

The natural dune systems at Narrawallee and Mollymook Beaches have been historically affected by coastal erosion events, weed invasion, urbanisation, historical clearing of dune vegetation, vegetation vandalism, and informal beach access tracks. Council is undertaking a dune care project to improve the resilience and biodiversity of these dune ecosystems that will enhance the heath and amenity of Narrawallee and Mollymook Beaches.

The dune environments at Narrawallee and Mollymook are characterised by low lying shrubs and grasses, with some larger tree species interspersed throughout the hind dune. The dune vegetation at both sites contains areas of the Threatened Ecological Community (TEC) Bangalay Sand Forest. This vegetation community and surrounding areas are being impacted on by woody weeds including Cassia (Senna pendula) and priority weeds such as Bridal Creeper (Asparagus asparagoides) and Asparagus Fern (Asparagus aethiopicus). Works conducted as part of this project will aim to expand and improve upon the condition of these TECs and enable greater resilience for protection into the future.

Council will be implementing management measures to reduce the large extent of invasive weed presence on these dune areas and will include revegetation with native dune species to increase the native biodiversity of the area and promote healthier, stronger dune systems. To complement these works, maintenance will be carried out on many of the beach access tracks to improve conditions for public use. Initial priority works will proceed up until the Christmas Holiday period (2023/24) and will be followed by six months of maintenance to ensure the establishment of revegetation areas and provide results for long-term weed suppression.

The target area for the work is the coastal dunes along the length of Narrawallee and Mollymook beaches and will extend inland to allow for weed control and revegetation to take place throughout adjacent TECs.

This coastal dune management project is being supported by the NSW Government’s Coast and Estuaries Grant Program, with a 1:1 funding agreement with Shoalhaven City Council.

Council’s Coastal team thanks community members for their participation in the walk and talk along Mollymook Beach on Sunday 29 October 2023. The walk was led by ‘Fran the Little Tern’ and ‘Pete the Pied Oystercatcher’ and was a fun and educational activity for all ages.

You can learn more about how dunes and foreshore vegetation mitigate coastal hazard risks by watching these videos.

To learn more about how Council manages the coastal foreshore visit Coastal Estuary Management Planning.

To find a Bushcare or Dunecare group near you have a look at Council's Bushcare web page.

For more information please contact: coastal.management@shoalhaven.nsw.gov.au.

Council's Coastal Team will be onsite at Mollymook Beach Markets to chat with the community about all things coastal management.

Entertaining educators from Eaton Gorge Theatre Company will be at the markets from 9 am to 12 pm spending the first hour walking through the markets in coastal-themed character costumes to encourage people to participate in the educationally fun walk and talk along Mollymook Beach.

The entertaining educators will lead the walk along Mollymook Beach from 10 am to 12 pm.

To register for the walk and talk activity along Mollymook Beach, please go to Eventbrite.

Shoalhaven City Council invites residents of Mollymook, Callala and Culburra beaches to a community workshop to learn more about their local foreshore.

The workshop activities include:

• Indigenous peoples’ values of Coastal Country
• Importance of dunes
• Identifying and planting foreshore vegetation
• Managing cliffs and rocky shores
• Ways to manage and protect your foreshore including Dunecare
• Citizen science activities including CoastSnap

Book into one of the following workshops:

Where: Meet at Mollymook Surf Life Saving Club - 83 Ocean Street
When: Tuesday 14 March 2023
Time: 4pm-5.30pm

Where: Meet at the Callala Beach Community Centre - 89 Quay Road
When: Wednesday 15 March 2023
Time: 4pm-5.30pm

Where: Meet at at the Nowra-Culburra Surf Life Saving Club - 4 Farrant Avenue, Culburra Beach
When: Thursday 16 March 2023
Time: 4pm-5.30pm

Please email your RSVP to Neil Dufty at ndufty@molinostewart.com.au.

Technical and Financial assistance for this project is being provided by the NSW Government under its Coastal Management Program.