NSW Environment Minister, Rob Stokes has approved a Coastal Zone Management Plan developed by Greater Taree City Council, on the NSW mid north coast, but has rejected a proposal to provide funding for a rock revetment wall at Old Bar.
The Council had proposed the wall as part of a plan to manage erosion to public and private land and infrastructure. See this story from June
He said the State Government was aware of the precedent it would set for other areas along the coast and was not in a position to provide the funding required. The Minister said the Office of Environment and Heritage would now work with the Council to develop future options for managing erosion at Old Bar.
“A policy of planned retreat is not the only option for the coastal village as it tackles the worsening problem,” he said. “While the rock wall is not an option, that doesn’t discount the opportunity for the Council or the residents to propose an alternative engineered solution structural solution.”