Geraldton Coastal Hazard Risk Management and Adaptation Planning Report

What's the Geraldton CHRMAP Report all about?

The Report presents the findings from the community consultation, the coastal hazard risk assessment that has already been completed and identifies and recommends adaptation pathways and management options that the City and other stakeholders can pursue to address the risks for coastal erosion and inundation. The report was developed using the State Government CHRMAP Guidelines. 

Engaging with the Community 

The City engaged with the community to develop a Coastal Hazard Risk Management Adaptation Plan (CHRMAP) that addresses the risks of coastal erosion and inundation along our coastline.

More on the Community Coastal Survey and Coastal Planning Workshops here

Read a summary of Community and Councillor Engagement and consultation in the development of the Geraldton CHRMAP Report here

Read the Public Comment Submissions regarding the report here

The CHRMAP Report

The Geraldton CHRMAP Report was adopted by Council on 27 November 2018. A key component of the CHRMAP Report was the identification of long term adaptation pathways for 12 Coastal Management Units (CMUs) along the developed Geraldton coastline.

Part 1: Summary of the Coastal Hazard and Risk Assessment Report

Coastal Hazard and Risk Assessment Report presents the findings from the initial phases of the project based on the coastal hazard assessment and the community consultation phase that has been completed and reports on the following:

  • Potential risks arising from hazards in the coastal zone
  • Key coastal infrastructure and assets at risk within the coastal zone
  • Community and cultural values of the coastal zones

Part 1: Coastal Hazard and Risk Assessment Report (70 pages or 3MB) here

Part 1: Appendices to the Report (172 pages or 57MB) here

Part 2: Summary of the Coastal Adaptation Report

The Coastal Adaptation Report works through the outcomes of the risk assessment to develop coastal management and adaptation recommendations to mitigate risk to coastal assets.

The Report has divided the City's coastline from Drummond Cove to Cape Burney into 12 coastal management units. Coastal management and adaptation recommendations for each unit have been completed based on the adaptation hierarchy required for each unit along with a summary of the implementation actions including costs, timing and responsibilities.

The Report contains an implementation plan, which includes a planning framework for special control areas, plans for managing the erosion and inundation risks to properties in the special control areas, specific adaptation pathways and planning actions such as built form and design requirements, trigger points, title notifications and emergency evacuation planning.

Part 2: Coastal Adaptation Report (162 pages or 5.3MB) here

Part 2: Appendices to the Report (81 pages or 30MB) here

Adoption of the Geraldton CHRMAP Report

The Geraldton CHRMAP Report was adopted by Council on 27 November 2018.

Read FAQs regarding the adoption of the CHRMAP Report here

At that time, Council also resolved to:

  • Undertake further geophysical investigations of the shoreline areas in Drummond Cove, Sunset Beach and Bluff Point;
  • Undertake coastal monitoring of the beach at Drummond Cove and investigate medium-term coastal adaptation options as Sunset Beach outlined in MP Rogers Sunset Beach Adaptation Options Advice;
  • Seek formal advice from the State Government on its position with respect to the future funding of coastal protection works; and
  • Initiate Stage 3 of the Coastal Adaptation Process flowchart - develop a local coastal planning policy.

Actions from the report taken to date

State Government Advice

The City wrote to the State Government seeking funding support for CHRMAP. We have received a formal response from the Premier, Hon Mark McGowan MLA.

Geraldton Geophysical and Geotechnical Investigations: Analysis of Coastal Erosion for the Northern Beaches

The results of the geophysical investigations of the northern beaches shoreline has been completed.  Read the report here

Coastal Monitoring

Coastal monitoring at Drummond Cove has begun and will continue into the future so that the City can understand the effectiveness of the two Geotextile Sand Container (GSC) groynes installed at the Whitehill Road foreshore north of the John Batten Community Hall in December 2018.

Coastal Adaptation Works

A number of coastal adaptation projects have been undertaken since the CHRMAP Report was published and more are planned. Read more on these completed, currently underway and planned projects here

Geraldton CBD Flood and Inundation Study

In 2020, the City engaged Cardno to undertake a detailed overland flood study to more appropriately define current and future flood levels throughout the Geraldton Central Business District and also, Beachlands, and West End. The flood study provides improved understanding of flooding impacts for planning purposes and assesses the options for flood control and emergency management. It incorporates key processes including coastal water levels and wave forcing, vegetation and surface roughness, high resolution ground and building elevation data, rainfall on grid and drainage infrastructure. Read the here

Coastal Adaptation and Planning Policies

A key component of the CHRMAP Report was the identification of long term adaptation pathways for 12 Coastal Management Units (CMUs) along the developed Geraldton coastline.

A Council Policy on Coastal Adaptation has been adopted by Council.

Local coastal planning policies are still being developed.