Sussex Inlet, St Georges Basin, Swan Lake & Berrara Creek CMP

This page provides information for the St Georges Basin, Sussex Inlet, Swan Lake, and Berrara Creek Coastal Management Programs (CMPs). Please visit the Shoalhaven Coastal Management Program Get Involved page for information regarding Council’s broader CMP program.

With 165kms of breathtaking coastline in the Shoalhaven LGA, Council understands the immense environmental, social, cultural, and economic value that this coastline provides for our community.

Shoalhaven City Council is currently developing Coastal Management Programs (CMPs) across the Shoalhaven to plan for the future of our coastline and estuaries, in accordance with the Coastal Management Act (2016). It considers historic events, current conditions, and future trends including population growth, environmental conditions, and climate change. CMP’s identify coastal management issues and the actions required to address these issues in a strategic and integrated way. It will also detail how and when those actions are to be implemented, their costs, and funding mechanisms.

There are five stages to developing a CMP, which are outlined in the Coastal Management Manual.

Sussex Inlet, St Georges Basin, Berrara and Swan Lake Background

Council’s adopted Citywide CMP Scoping Study (August 2020) (Stage 1) recommended that St Georges Basin, Sussex Inlet, Swan Lake, and Berrara Creek required CMPs. 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 these CMPs.

The Sussex Inlet, St Georges Basin, Swan Lake and Berrara Creek CMP was developed in line with the staged development process identified in the NSW Coastal Management Manual and Coastal Management Act 2016. This included technical studies and detailed assessments of coastal hazards and risks facing the study area, as well as extensive community engagement on the issues related to coastal management within the estuaries.

Following the public exhibition of the CMP from 17 February to 17 March 2025, the CMP was updated based on feedback received from the community and State Government Agency stakeholders. The updated CMP was presented to both the CMP Advisory Committee and Council to gain endorsement and adoption of the final CMP. Council formally supported the adoption of the CMP on the 10 June 2025.

The CMP was certified by the NSW Minister for Climate Change, Energy, the Environment, and Heritage in October 2025. Following certification, the CMP now enters Stage 5 where Council will implement, monitor, evaluate and report on management actions identified in the final CMP.

The CMP comprises a program of integrated management actions that are intended to address key issues, and harness new opportunities for the management of the Shoalhaven coastal zone. It outlines 66 management actions that are to be implemented over a forward 10-year management timeframe under several overarching strategies for managing the coastal zone, which include:

• Cultural and Social Issues
• Ecological Environment
• Foreshore Erosion
• Inundation and Sea Level Rise
• Navigation and Safety
• Water Quality

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