Presentations at the 2019 Australia’s Coastal Councils Conference, which was held at Kiama, NSW, from Wednesday 6 – Friday 8 March, are now available. The preliminary conference report will be available by Friday 15 March.

Wednesday 6 March

Kiama: Building on Its Local Character

Diana Griffiths, founding director of Studio GL

Climate Change Adaptation Strategies: A National Overview

Astrid Stuer, Water Technology Pty Ltd.

QCoast2100 _– Delivering Queensland-Wide Adaptation Planning for Coastal Hazards

Subathra Ramachandram, Program Manager LGAQ, and Sel Sultmann, Principal Coastal Scientist, QLD Department of Environment and Science

Sunshine Coast: Building A Bright Future

Warren Bunker, Group Executive, Liveability and Natural Assets Group, Sunshine Coast Council

Ocean Safety and Beach Management

Warren Young, Chief Lifeguard Gold Coast City Council, Bruce Hopkins, Head Lifeguard Waverley Council

Online Short-Term Holiday Rental Platforms – Update

Professor Nicole Gurran, Chair of Urban and Regional Planning and Policy at The University of Sydney

Ocean Safety and Beach Management – Workshop

Session facilitated by members of the Australian Professional Ocean Lifeguard Association

Where Has My Beach Gone and What Can I Do About It?

Dr Andrew McCowan, Managing Director, Water Technology Pty Ltd.

Living Shoreline Response to Building Coastal Resilience.

Ralph Roob, Senior Environmental Engineer, City of Greater Geelong.

Coastal Management in Australia and Climate Change: A Comparison Between Jurisdictions and Assessment of Approaches Against a Gold Standard.

Dr David Rissik, Senior Principal, Climate Adaptation, BMT

Understanding Microplastic Loads Through a Robust Citizen Science Approach

Scott Wilson, Senior Lecturer, Department of Environmental Science, Macquarie University.

Thursday 7 March

The Tsunami Threat to Australia: Sydney Harbour and National Perspectives

Kaya M. Wilson and Dr Hannah E. Power, School of Environmental and Life Sciences, The University of Newcastle.

Kiama Tourism Strategy

Karen Ronning, Manager Tourism and Events, Kiama Municipal Council

Managing Peak Tourism Demand at Hyams Beach

Coralie Bell, Tourism Manager, Shoalhaven City Council and Chair, Australian Regional Tourism.

Moyne Shire and Tourism: Taking Care of Business

Oliver J Moles, Director Sustainable Development, Moyne Shire Council

Australian Coastal Cities – Climate Risks and Responses

Professor Lesley Hughes, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Research Integrity and Development, Macquarie University

The Smart Beaches Project

Brad Sutton, Acting Manager Environmental Systems, Lake Macquarie City Council, and Claire Chaikin-Bryan, Project Manager Strategy, Performance & Improvement, Northern Beaches Council

An Inconvenient Truce: How to Make Retreat Work as a Coastal Adaptation Pathway

Allan Young, National Technical Leader, Urban and Regional Planning, EMM Consulting Pty Ltd.

The Smart Beaches Project – Workshop

Facilitated by Brad Sutton, Lake Macquarie City Council, and Claire Chaikin-Bryan, Northern Beaches Council.

Marine Pests and The Australian Government: Educational and Information Resources Available to Local Councils.

Brett Herbert, Scientist, Australian Department of Agriculture and Water Resources.

How Do We Effectively Mitigate the Risk of Shark Bite to all Beach Users?

Craig Blount, of Cardno (NSW/ACT) Pty Ltd.

Flying Fish Point Rock Revetments: Application of ‘Green Engineering’, Fish-friendly Features and Other Innovative Measurers.

Justin Fischer, Manager Asset Engineering, Cassowary Coast Regional Council

Coastal Hazard Adaptation on Moreton Island.

Glen Dare, Environmental Engineer, City Planning and Sustainability Division, Brisbane City Council.

Friday 8 March

Impact of Sea-Level Rise Around the Australian Coast: A Sediment Compartment Approach

Professor Colin Woodroffe, School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong

Building Coastal Councils Capability to Respond to Climate Change

Dorean Erhart, Program Manager LGAQ  and Catherine Dunbar, Manager Adaptation – Climate Change and Sustainable Futures, QLD Department of Environment and Science.

Coastal Issues Survey Report

Alan Stokes, Executive Director, Australian Coastal Councils Association

2019 Conference Communiqué

Communiqué

Barry Sammels, Chair of the Australian Coastal Councils Association, said the Awards were established to acknowledge the achievement of individuals and organisations that have made a significant contribution to the Australian coastal environment, settlements and sustainability.

“The Awards are intended to raise community awareness of the importance of the coastal zone and to encourage coastal planning and management practitioners to strive for excellence,” he said.

Barry Sammels said the standard of nominations for the 2019 Australian Coastal Awards was very high. Winners of the awards were:

• The 2019 Australian Coastal Award for Annual Achievement was awarded to the City of Bunbury (WA) in association with the technical resources of Cardno WA Pty Ltd;
• The 2019 Australian Coastal Award for Climate Adaptation was awarded to the Local Government Association of Queensland and the Queensland Department of Environment and Science;
• The 2019 Australian Coastal Award for Community Engagement was awarded to the Sunshine Coast Council (QLD);
• The 2019 Australian Coastal Award for Innovation was awarded to the City of Greater Geelong (VIC); and
• The 2019 Australian Coastal Award for Planning and Management was jointly awarded to the Shire of Broome (WA) in association with Baird Australia and Nyambu Buru Yawuru, and the Port Macquarie-Hastings Council (NSW).

“Australia has one of the longest coastlines in the world – more than 36,000kms – but it faces many challenges,” he said. “These include the impact of more frequent extreme weather events, widespread coastal erosion, the risks associated with a changing climate and loss of coastal environment due to rapid urbanisation.

“Fortunately, as a nation we have a large number of dedicated individuals and organisations who are committed to safeguarding the coast for future generations. The Australian Coastal Awards are intended to acknowledge their work and to inspire others.”

Full list of presentations here

A new Global Commission on Adaptation has been established by a group of world leaders to promote the acceleration of climate adaptation solutions. The commission is led by Ban Ki-Moon, the former Secretary-General of the United Nations, Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and Kristalina Georgeieva, CEO of the World Bank.

The commission has been launched following the release of a special report on global warming released by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The special report warned that damaging climate impacts are already being felt – much sooner and more powerfully than previous projected.

Speaking at the launch of the commission, Ban Ki-moon said without urgent adaptation action there was a risk of undermining food, energy and water security for decades to come. “Continued economic growth and reductions in global poverty are possible despite these challenges, but only if societies invest much more in adaptation,” he said.

“The costs of adapting are less than the cost of doing business as usual, and the benefits many times larger.”

Bill Gates said there was a need for governments and other stakeholders to support innovation to help deliver breakthroughs to vulnerable populations.“If everyone does their part we can reduce carbon emissions, increase access to affordable energy and help farmers grow more productive crops,” he said.

The role of the commission will be to increase awareness of the importance of climate adaptation and promote smarter investments, new technologies and better planning to increase resilience to climate threats.

At the launch, the commission identified four major barriers currently slowing adaptation which it will address:

• Decision makers and the wider public are not yet aware of all the opportunities to be gained from becoming more resilient and less vulnerable to climate impacts and natural hazards;
• Governments and business fail to incorporate climate change risks into their social and economic development plans and investments;
• Adaptation efforts fall short of those who need them most, the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people; and
• Although adaptation is a global challenge, global leadership on the issue is scarce. In short, the world is falling short of the transformation required to adapt to a changing climate.

The commission also plans to convene key champions, coalitions, private sectors and civil society actors to advance initiatives including food security and rural livelihoods, global supply chains, cities, infrastructure, finance, social protection and nature-based solutions.

More information at – https://gca.org/home

State governments have indicated they are considering the findings and recommendations of the study into short-term holiday rental platforms commissioned by the Australian Coastal Councils Association.

The NSW Department of Finance Services and Innovation has indicated it will consider suggestions from the research report in the process of drafting a Code of Conduct for the short-term rental accommodation industry.

Meanwhile, the Queensland Government has advised that the study report has been forwarded to the Department of Innovation and Tourism Industry Development to consider as it finalises the government’s position in relation to the issue over coming months. Subsequent correspondence from the Office of the Minister for Innovation and Tourism Development in Queensland, Kate Jones MP, advised: ‘Tourism is a cornerstone of Queensland’s economy, so it’s important that an appropriate balance is struck in any Queensland response to the short-term peer-to-peer accommodation sector to create opportunities for tourism industry growth, while also safeguarding hosts, guests and the community.’

The report is also being considered by Consumer Affairs Victoria,  the West Australian Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage and the Tasmanian Department of Justice.

The study into planning responses to the impact of short-term holiday rental platforms was conducted by a research team led by Professor Nicole Gurran, Chair of Urban and Regional Planning and Policy, at The University of Sydney.

The report recommended that State governments need to help councils by setting baseline standards for short term rentals in residential areas and clarify the definition and use of short-term rental accommodation. They should support local planning and regulatory responses which reflect the specific contexts of each community and ensure that online platforms share data and help ensure local requirements are met.

The report notes that holiday homes are part of the character of coastal towns and there is no dispute that online rental platforms have created new tourism opportunities in coastal areas. However, in some communities, the rapid growth in listings has emerged as a major challenge with potentially serious consequences. “Coastal councils have found long-standing planning and management practices have not kept pace with the changes occurring in the holiday rental market,” said Barry Sammels, Chair of the Australian Coastal Councils Association.

Professor Nicole Gurran said holiday home-sharing via online platforms, has a particular significance for coastal communities where tourism forms an integral part of the local economy. “Getting the right planning and regulatory framework in place to manage short-term rentals in the digital era is critical to the economic and social sustainability of these communities,” she said.

Australia needs new planning tools to manage the rapid growth in listings on Airbnb and other online holiday rental platforms, according to a new study by researchers at The University of Sydney.

A study into planning responses to the impact of short-term holiday rental platforms was conducted by a University of Sydney research team led by Professor Nicole Gurran, Chair of Urban and Regional Planning and Policy. The research project was commissioned by the Australian Coastal Councils Association.

The report finds that since Airbnb was launched in Australia in 2011, more than 130,000 properties were listed, equating to approximately 0.2 percent of total housing stock.  In coastal communities, however, the study identified a median rate of 4 percent of all housing stock, with rates in key locations found to be even higher; in the Byron Shire Council area over 17 percent of all housing is listed on online holiday rental platforms.

This can create a real problem for those looking to find traditional, long-term rental properties. The report also found that in just over 18 months, from April 2016 to December 2017, the number of Airbnb listings doubled in NSW, Vic, Qld and WA.

Holiday homes are part of the character of coastal towns and there is no dispute that online rental platforms have created new tourism opportunities in coastal areas. However, in some communities, the rapid growth in listings has emerged as a major challenge with potentially serious consequences.

“Coastal councils have found long-standing planning and management practices have not kept pace with the changes occurring in the holiday rental market,” said Barry Sammels, Chair of the Australian Coastal Councils Association.

“Traditional holiday accommodation providers are required to meet minimum fire and safety standards. As matters stand, these requirements do not apply to properties listed in Airbnb and similar platforms, posing a potential risk to guests.”

Professor Nicole Gurran said holiday home-sharing via online platforms, has a particular significance for coastal communities where tourism forms an integral part of the local economy.

“Getting the right planning and regulatory framework in place to manage short-term rentals in the digital era is critical to the economic and social sustainability of these communities,” she said.

The University of Sydney study found that in some areas of coastal Australia online listings of holiday lets far exceed existing tourism accommodation. For example, on the Mornington Peninsula and in Byron Bay beds in Airbnb listings are more than five times those of traditional accommodation.

The report identified that State governments need to help councils by setting baseline standards for short term rentals in residential areas and clarify the definition and use of short-term rental accommodation. They should support local planning and regulatory responses which reflect the specific contexts of each community and ensure that online platforms share data and help ensure local requirements are met.

Professor Gurran said providing data on short-term holiday rental listings to councils is necessary to inform local planning and management responses and to maximise the benefits that online platforms can bring to coastal communities.

The report notes that Airbnb, which is just one holiday rental platform, advertises more than 3 million properties worldwide since it commenced operations in 2008. This is more than the total number of rooms provided by the Hilton and Marriott hotel chains combined.

Barry Sammels said the study found there are significant differences in the impact of the online holiday rental sector in different coastal communities.

“Some of the 12 councils taking part in the study reported an increase in resident complaints and other disruptions caused by visitors staying in short-term holiday rentals,” he said.

“Some permanent residents felt their community had been invaded by tourism and spoke of the stress involved in not knowing when a new party of visitors was likely to arrive next door and how they were going to behave within residential neighbourhoods.”

The research identifies a definite need for clearer guidelines from state governments on how to manage these issues which are rapidly emerging around Australia.

Click here for the final research report

Coastal councils participating in study:

• Bass Coast Shire Council (VIC)
• City of Busselton (WA)
• Byron Shire Council (NSW)
• Douglas Shire Council (QLD)
• Eurobodalla Shire Council (NSW)
• Kiama Municipal Council (NSW)
• Moreton Bay Regional Council (QLD)
• Mornington Peninsula Shire Council (VIC)
• Moyne Shire Council (VIC)
• Port Macquarie-Hastings Council (NSW)
• Shoalhaven City Council (NSW)
• Sunshine Coast Council (QLD)

Media enquiries:

University of Sydney

Sally Quinn, 0438 038 288, sally.quinn@sydney.edu.au

Australian Coastal Councils Association

Alan Stokes, 0411 592 269, alan@coastalcouncils.org.au