Meeting papers

GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING                                                          14 AUGUST 2023


of the importance of protecting      Community education is planned as part of the
dunes.                               plan's implementation.
Encroachments
Encroachments are a Shire-wide A Shire-wide Encroachments Policy and
issue and separate to the plan for Procedures have been developed and approved
the Eastern Beaches.               by Council to provide consistency and clarity for
                                   managing private encroachments into public
                                   reserve areas. Budget has been allocated in the
                                   2023/24 budget to support an additional staff
                                   member and progress onground bushland
                                   recovery work on a shire-wide basis for Council's
                                   bushland areas.
Concern about factual basis of       The language regarding encroachments and
concern about encroachments,         impacts has been assessed and reviewed.
and inflammatory language.
                                     Bushland Operational Assessment mapping and
                                     data from on ground audits informs Council’s
                                     approach to prioritising and managing
It would be helpful to have some
                                     encroachments.
information about what foreshore
neighbours could do to maintain      A ‘Be a Good Bushland Neighbour’ education
and improve the health of the        program is central to implementation of the
reserves.                            Encroachments Policy.
Public access and recreation
Management of the reserves as a Recreation, public access and beach access are
natural area is not appropriate. The very important throughout the draft plan, and are
reserves should be managed for highlighted in the second objective and Section
recreation.                          12, Public access and recreation.
Universal access for those with      Universal access is a priority in the design
disabilities or mobility issues is   standards and beach access review projects.
important.                           Event-based universal access is being explored.
There is a need to improve beach This is included in the beach access review and
access and surf viewing points,  design standards project.
while protecting the dunes from
access impacts.
Incidents and disaster management
Bushfire and other urban risks are Fire risk mitigation measures are now explicitly
not managed in the plan.           stated in the plan. Community education about
                                   fire risk mitigation is included as an action in the
                                   plan. A fire management program is underway
                                   and funded within the Natural Areas team.
Coastal creeks and stormwater
The plan does not recognise,         The plan now better describes its position and
manage, or fund remediation of       role in managing the Eastern Beaches Foreshore
current erosion and pollution of     Reserves alongside other plans, programs, and
erosion prone areas caused by        activities and how they interact. This includes
wastewater. Erosion at creek         coastal erosion (CHAP) implementation projects,
mouths is enabling ingress from      Burgess Creek integrated catchment
the sea and further erosion.         management plan and the high risk erosion
Burgess Creek needs more             planning and design project.
detailed management.



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