Queensland State Coastal Management Plan, 2001:

"Recent scientific research indicates that the enhanced greenhouse effect will have an impact on global climate. The extent of changes such as a rise in global mean sea level, higher average air and sea temperatures and possibly increased climatic variability, and the implications for Queensland are being assessed. Predicted changes will have physical, social and economic impacts on the coastal zone and human settlements. Some of these impacts include:

• increased vulnerability of beach and dune systems to coastal erosion;
• potential shoreline recession;
• inundation of coastal lowlands;
• higher frequency and more extensive storm tide flooding;
• possibly more frequent severe storm events such as tropical cyclones;
• saltwater intrusion of estuaries and aquifers;
• changes in the characteristics of near-coastal surface and groundwater due to the predicted long-term changes to rainfall patterns;
• reduced coastal habitats due to changes in tidal inundation;
• increased reef vulnerability and mortality, including from coral bleaching;
• changes to coastal and estuarine processes resulting in altered sediment deposition patterns in near shore areas;
• alteration of marine biodiversity and displacement of coastal wetlands (also refer to policies 2.8.1, 2.8.2 and 2.8.3);
• increased risk of damage to coastal infrastructure;
• possible reduction in water quality in coastal rivers; and
• loss of tourism, recreation and transportation functions, and impacts on agriculture on the coast.

Trends in climate change including sea level rise and more extensive storm tide flooding necessitate impact
and vulnerability assessments before strategic plans for progressive adaptation can be made."

AND

"Erosion prone areas are areas that are vulnerable to erosion or encroachment from tidal waters within a 50 year planning cycle. These areas provide a buffer between land uses and the coast to allow the natural fluctuations of the coast to occur without the need for intervention to protect human life and property.
Fluctuations in the position of the coastline and periodic inundation of some coastal areas are part of the natural processes of the coast. In the past, development has occurred within areas vulnerable to erosion and in many cases this development amounts to substantial private and public investment. Protection works for the built environment in these areas can result in adverse impacts on coastal resources and their values.

Management of shoreline erosion in certain developed areas is a continuing issue for State and local governments (including Aboriginal Councils and Island Councils). Erosion control methods, such as the construction of seawalls and groynes and artificial beach nourishment, can be used to reduce the impacts of coastal hazards on land. However, seawalls and groynes can be expensive and have undesirable effects on adjacent beaches. Artificial nourishment of an eroding beach is less likely to have negative impacts on nearby areas. However, maintenance of an artificial beach may require regular and expensive replenishment of sand."

AND

"Coastal hazards include events such as storm tides, cyclone effects and related inundation. Storm tides (the combined effect on coastal water levels of a storm surge and the normally occurring astronomical tide) that cause dangerous levels of inundation are not rare events in Queensland. These events can place human life and property on the coast at risk over and above the risks associated with overland flooding events from high rainfall in the catchment."

AND

"Beach protection structures including seawalls, groynes and artificial reefs have the potential to have a significant impact on coastal processes such as erosion and longshore drift. Major sources of sand for longshore movement are sediments from rivers and offshore areas. This sand movement is critical to the
maintenance of beaches and foreshore areas. These structures can stop or redirect this flow of sand and cause the loss of sand from beaches, receding shorelines, loss of foreshore vegetation and increased risk associated with coastal hazards."

 

 

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Citation and/or URL

Environment Protection Agency (EPA), 2001, State Coastal Management Plan - Queensland's Coastal Policy, Queensland Government.

http://www.epa.qld.gov.au/wetlandinfo/site/index.html, (accessed 1 August 2008).

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Spatial Coverage

Queensland

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Temporal Coverage

 

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Update Frequency

 

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Other Information

None