Lake Conjola - Coastal Management Program (CMP)

This page provides information for the Lake Conjola Coastal Management Program (CMP). Please visit the Shoalhaven Coastal Management Program page for information regarding the broader program.

Shoalhaven City Council is required by state legislation to prepare a (CMP) for the estuaries and sections of the Shoalhaven’s 165km coastal zone. Council manages most of the region’s beaches, bays and headlands, and some of the lakes and estuaries, often in partnership with state government agencies.

A CMP is being prepared for Lake Conjola in accordance with the Coastal Management Act (2016).

A CMP provides the framework and strategy that will be used to manage our coastlines and estuaries. It will identify coastal management issues and the actions required to address these issues in a strategic and integrated way. The plan will then detail how and when those actions are to be implemented, the costs, and how they will be funded.

There are five stages to developing a CMP, which are outlined in the Coastal Management Manual. Council is up to Stage 2 – Determine Risks, Vulnerabilities and Opportunities.

Background of Lake Conjola CMP

Council’s adopted Citywide CMP Scoping Study (Stage 1) recommended that Lake Conjola required a CMP. Council has applied for and successfully received a grant from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW, formerly DPE) to develop this CMP.

Council has progressed through Stage 2 of the CMP process, where Lake Conjola underwent detailed assessment studies to identify, analyse, and evaluate the risks for the estuary.

Council is currently in Stage 3 of the CMP process. Stage 3 involves the confirmation of strategic direction, identification and evaluation of potential management actions, community and stakeholder engagement and the development of a draft business plan.

Council will soon progress to Stage 4 of the CMP. Stage 4 involves public exhibition of the draft CMP document, incorporating details from the technical studies and stakeholder feedback received from previous consultations completed throughout Stages 1 to 3. The draft CMP encompasses a detailed program that lists the management actions to be implemented over the next 10 years - including a schedule of when those actions will be planned for implementation, their associated costs, how they will be funded, and who will be responsible for their implementation.

Community Engagement

Council will be working closely with the Coastal Committees, State Agency representatives, our local Aboriginal communities and custodians, youth, and the overall Lake Conjola Community as the project progresses.

Community members will have a number of opportunities to provide input into the development of the CMP and to provide feedback on the draft document.

Stay Informed

This page will host all of the key information for the Lake Conjola Coastal Management Program and will inform the community of opportunities to get involved along the way. The page will be regularly updated with project updates and will host information regarding links to relevant documents, policies and plans.

Subscribe for updates on this project via the 'Stay Informed' function on this webpage.