Coastal Council role
The NSW Coastal Council provides independent and expert advice on matters relating to the Minister's functions under the Act, and in relation to the development and implementation of coastal management programs by local councils.
The Coastal Council may, at the Minister's request, provide advice to another public authority on matters relating to coastal management.
Specific aspects of the Coastal Council's role include providing advice to the Minister on:
- the certification of coastal management programs
- the implementation of a coastal management program following a performance audit
- technical or scientific matters of strategic importance such as sea level rise.
The NSW Coastal Council replaces the NSW Coastal Panel and the Coastal Expert Panel.
Improving implementation
The Minister may request the NSW Coastal Council to conduct a performance audit of a local council's implementation of its coastal management program (CMP). These audits will enable the NSW Government to determine whether CMPs are being effectively implemented.
Composition of the NSW Coastal Council
The NSW Coastal Council is appointed under section 24 of the Coastal Management Act 2016.
The people appointed to the NSW Coastal Council have outstanding expertise and experience in one or more specialist fields relating to coastal management.
The members of the NSW Coastal Council are:
- Annelise Tuor (chairperson)
- Emeritus Professor Bruce Thom AM
- Grahame Byron, (nominated by the Minister administering the Marine Estate Management Act 2014 and a member of the Marine Estate Expert Knowledge Panel)
- Pam Dean-Jones
- Martijn Gough
- Assoc. Professor Hannah Power
- Dr Shay Simpson.
Coastal Council audits
Performance audit reports of the implementation of coastal management programs provided to the Minister are to be tabled by the Minister in Parliament within 3 months of the end of each calendar year.
Coastal Council work program
The Coastal Council publishes information on its activities relevant to a range of issues to do with the planning and implementation of Coastal Management Programs. The information is updated regularly for the benefit of coastal practitioners and the community following the progress of the Council's work program.