After continued outcry by members of the community that the time allowed for response to Council's Draft Open Coast Coastal Management Program (CMP) was far to short, especially given the complexity of the issue and the fact that many affected landowners may not yet be in receipt of letters, councillors have advised staff to put in place an extension to allow property owners more time to consider the draft 10-year strategy to protect the shire’s coastline and manage coastal hazards.
Further reading:
Submission: More time needed for CMP : Hellier
One would wonder about Council’s questionable aims and objectives
Eurobodalla property owners now have an extra two weeks to comment on Council’s Draft Open Coast Coastal Management Program (CMP).
The Draft Open Coast Coastal Management Program has been on public exhibition since 12 October, with three well-attended drop-in sessions for residents held last week.
So far, 45 submissions have been made by members of the public.
There is $47 million worth of proposed actions in the CMP to address current and future coastal hazards.
Council staff will claim, as they recently did with the flawed Management Plan for Mummaga Lake, that having a certified CMP will allow Council to access state government funding to undertake these actions such as a revetment to protect Long Beach’s Bay Road, and inundation berm to protect Surfside, and rock-wall upgrades at Wharf Road and Caseys Beach. They will most likely suggest that if the CMP, flawed or otherwise, is not adopted, then they will not be in a position to receive grant funding. As one Councillor has already remarked "This is blackmail in no uncertain terms".
Council advise that the draft CMP has been developed from feedback collected since 2021 suggesting it can become an agreed strategy between the community, Council, Traditional Owners and state agencies.
Council's primary hurdle will be in regards to the degradation of the northern Clyde River foreshore that has resulted in Council setting in place a domino of consequences that are based on little more than unsubstantiated and debatable notion and a litany of ineptitudes.
The closing date to have your say on the draft Open Coast Coastal Management Program is Wednesday 23 November, 2022.
