Watching for progress on Wooli’s Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) can be frustrating. Just to refresh your memory, here are the main steps so far:
- 1997-8, the current CZMP was approved;
- 2010-11, a new draft CZMP (based on planned retreat) was proposed and rejected;
- June 2015, a replacement CZMP (based on beach nourishment) was approved by Council and sent to the Minister of Planning for certification.
- December 2015, following OEH feedback, the June CZMP was revised and resubmitted. The key change was to remove references to using sand from the national park to nourish the beach. Instead the plan retains beach nourishment to protect the dunes but uses a different approach to get the needed sand. The northern end of Wooli beach will continue to provide about half the sand originally planned for, but will do so every 2.5 years rather than every 5 years (depending on availability and need).
- Agreement will be needed from the Departments of Land and Marine Parks to take sand from north Wooli before this revised CZMP is likely to be approved by the Minister.
