Coastal hazards
Queensland’s coastline is affected by extreme weather conditions. Sound planning and development decisions are required to protect lives and property. The impacts of natural coastal erosion processes are made much worse when combined with extreme weather events, such as cyclones. Coastal areas may be permanently lost due to erosion or inundation or subject to severe temporary storm tide inundation.
With the effects of climate change, these impacts, termed ‘coastal hazards’, are projected to increase in severity over the next 30 to 100 years. The Queensland Coastal Plan includes planning and development assessment policies to ensure decision makers take into account the increasing threat of coastal hazards to people and property. To address this threat, the Queensland Coastal Plan has incorporated climate change impact factors of a 0.8 metre sea-level rise and an increase in the intensity of a one in 100 probability storm event of 10 per cent, at the year 2100 (refer to State Planning Policy 3/11: Coastal Protection).
To assist decision makers and inform the public, the Queensland Government has acquired high resolution digital elevation data to map areas vulnerable to coastal hazards. These maps show the areas where the Queensland Coastal Plan coastal hazard policies must be considered. Councils and proponents may undertake further assessment to refine this mapping. It is important to note that this mapping is for land-use planning and development assessment purposes. These maps are not an emergency response planning.
The coastal hazard area maps can be downloaded at a property scale by filling in an electronic form that requires a valid email address and the lot and plan details of the property of interest. An A4 size PDF map will be emailed to the address supplied. Alternatively, maps can be downloaded from a map sheet index. These maps will open as PDF documents and can be saved or printed.
Presently, mapping of coastal hazard areas is generally available for all coastal areas from the Gold Coast City Council area to the Cairns Regional Council area,with mapping of the coastal and island communities of the Cape York Peninsula, Torres Strait and the Gulf expected to be published in early 2012.
The coastal hazards information sheet (PDF, 74K)* provides further details about coastal hazards and the Queensland Coastal Plan. Questions and answers that address coastal hazards area maps are also available.
* Requires Adobe Reader
Last updated 7 February 2012