State Coastal Management Plan Review
Cover of State Coastal Managment Plan Review
To remain effective in setting directions for protecting and managing the coast, there is a statutory requirement for the State Coastal Management Plan to be reviewed every seven years. The plan was formally reviewed in 2008 and consisted of a public consultation process, internal departmental assessment and an independent analysis of the plan’s effectiveness by external experts who also provided suggestions for its improvement.
The review indicated that significant changes are required to the State Coastal Management Plan and to the legislative framework which supports it, to ensure the regime that protects coastal land and its resources is effective and efficient. The results of the review are:
- The State Coastal Management Plan and associated legislation are no longer consistent with highly evolved planning, policy and legislative environments.
- The State Coastal Management Plan is ambiguous and difficult to use.
- Successful implementation has been limited due to a number of factors including the Coastal framework not aligning with the guiding framework set by the Integrated Planning Act 1997 (IPA); poor communication between policy makers, development assessment officers, planners and managers which resulted in confusion about roles and responsibilities; and lack of sufficient resources.
- Integrated coastal zone management cannot be achieved solely by a coastal plan; it requires alignment with the vast array of other related policies, laws, and management initiatives.
- There is significant duplication and overlap in policy topics covered by other legislation and policy including vegetation management, Indigenous heritage, built heritage, marine parks, water resource planning, water quality and terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity conservation.
- Proactive planning for the sustainable use of sensitive coastal land requires improved planning policies to address urban development (including urban settlement patterns) in the coastal zone, urban design on the coast, coastal dependant development, public access to the coast, natural resource management on the coast and coastal landscape protection.
A Report of the Review of the State Coastal Management Plan outlines the major findings of the public consultation and review process.Based on this review, the Minister for Climate Change and Sustainability requested that a new Queensland Coastal Plan be prepared.
In association with the new Queensland Coastal Plan, relevant guidelines will be prepared along with necessary legislation amendments.
A draft of the new Queensland Coastal Plan has now been completed and is available for public comment. DERM welcomes your input in creating policies and management tools that are future-oriented and meet the expanding needs of Queenslanders and their natural environment. You can view further information about the Draft Queensland Coastal Plan and make a submission online.
If you would like further information regarding coastal protection and management in Queensland, please email Coastal Support
Last updated: 25 August 2009