By Jon Hickman, Chair – Victorian Coastal Council
The Act that established the current coastal governance system in Victoria, the Coastal Management Act 1995, is now twenty years old and, whilst it has lasted well, changes are needed to ensure the legislative framework that governs the coast meets the challenges of the next twenty years.
Lisa Neville MP, Victoria’s Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Water, told delegates at the 2015 Australian Coastal Councils Conference that the Andrews Government is committed to improving the state’s coastal management.
The Victorian State Government has released this year’s revised iteration of the Victorian Coastal Strategy. The Strategy provides a long-term vision for planning, management and sustainable use of the Victorian coast, a hierarchy of principles to guide decision-making, as well as policies and actions to be delivered over the next five years.