Six councils working together to deliver
Hawkesbury Nepean River System
Coastal Management Program
Six councils working together to deliver
Hawkesbury Nepean River System
Coastal Management Program
Six councils working together to deliver
Hawkesbury Nepean River System
Coastal Management Program
Hawkesbury Nepean River System Coastal Management Program or HNRS CMP
is a partnership between local and state government agencies to support the coordinated management and sustainable development of the Hawkesbury-Nepean River system, including Broken Bay, Brisbane Water and Pittwater estuaries*, for the benefit of nature, the economy and the community.
WHERE WE ARE AT:
The Hawkesbury Nepean River System Coastal Management Program is being developed using a five-stage risk management approach recommended by NSW Government’s Coastal Management Manual.
In March 2023, the Hawkesbury Nepean River System CMP secured additional funding under NSW Coastal and Estuary Grants Program – Planning Stream thereby ensuring a smooth transition of the program into its next exciting phase (Stage 3) that will look to:
Confirm the strategic direction of the CMP that will involve review of risks and opportunities identified in Stages 1 and 2 to ensure the CMP reflects local values and local/regional strategic planning objectives;
Identify management options to address the identified risks, vulnerabilities, and opportunities as detailed in Stage 1 & 2;
Evaluate, select and rank these management options;
And finally, develop a Business Plan to support the implementation of these management options.
Unlike Stages 1 & 2 that primarily looked to empower community and stakeholders with knowledge by bringing all interested parties on board early to share information, Stage 3 will look at building on established working partnerships to share the decision-making dilemma in identifying and evaluating local and regional-scale coastal management actions and determining their viability and acceptability.
Stage 1 of the HNRS CMP got finalised in April 2020 and resulted in the development of a Scoping Study that has reviewed past management of the river system, developed a shared understanding of the current situation and identified the strategic path for the remaining CMP stages.
In April 2021 our CMP transitioned into Stage 2 of the Coastal Management Framework that resulted in the development of a range of studies designed to assess key risks, vulnerabilities and identify opportunities to inform future management. These studies were selected for completion by the CMP project team because they addressed the most pressing knowledge gaps as identified in the Scoping Study and were essential for the successful progression of the CMP. You can learn more about these studies by checking out our Progress Update section of the website.
Watch this space for further updates on the CMP or subscribe to our news & updates below to stay up-to-date with the latest CMP developments.
LATEST NEWS AND EVENTS:
Fifth issue of the HNRS CMP newsletter announces the program’s transition into Stage 3 that will look at identification, evaluation and selection of appropriate management actions to guide the management of the River system over the next 10 years.
$432,000 funding boost from the NSW Coast and Estuary grants program to deliver the final stages of the HNRS CMP.
A wonderful day out at Mooney-Mooney Club for the Hawkesbury-Nepean River System CMP project team at a Taste of Seafood (TOS) Festival. TOS festivals are regularly run by the Professional Fishers Association who champion the local industry, encourage sustainable fishing practices and support the CMP process.
Fourth issue of the Hawkesbury-Nepean River System CMP newsletter reminded subscribers about the looming deadline to Have Your Say about the priority threats and issues facing the Hawkesbury estuary now and the in the future and informed them about an opportunity to meet the CMP team at the Taste Of Seafood event on the 18th of February.
Third issue of the Hawkesbury-Nepean River System CMP newsletter promotes a link to our new Have Your Say page that can be used to provide feedback on the priority threats and issues facing the Hawkesbury estuary now and the in the future.
A full-day event organised to update our government stakeholders on the progress with the 2nd Stage of the CMP. 28 representatives from 21 local and state government agencies that work in the Hawkesbury-Nepean River space have come together to share new information about each other’s work and reaffirm commitment and collaboration during the next stage of the CMP.
4 new factsheets developed to raise awareness about various stressors facing the Hawkesbury-Nepean River System. Each individual factsheet will cover one of the 5 overarching threat categories as identified in the Stage 1 Scoping Study and will complement already produced Factsheet 1 - What’s the Hawkesbury-Nepean River CMP? and Factsheet 2 - Coastal and Estuarine Hazards.
Central Coast-based sustainability festival that allowed the Hawkesbury Nepean River System CMP project team to engage with over 100 people who are passionate about sustainable living and have a conversation about why CMPs are important for the sustainable management of our river systems now and in the future.
Second issue of the Hawkesbury Nepean River System CMP newsletter provides an update on the progress we’ve made with technical studies and community engagement activities since our previous newsletter release in January 2022.
This event was hosted by Hornsby Council in partnership with a few community groups from Brooklyn. The festival was a huge success and allowed us to engage with residents from 3 out of 6 estuarine council areas.
We were invited to participate in the Central Coast Council’s consultation day at Woy-Woy and collected feedback from residents in the Brisbane Water estuary catchment.
Hawkesbury Nepean River System CMP sponsored this annual’s fishing competition and got a chance to talk with a valuable stakeholder of the river - our recreational fishers!
Welcome to the first official Hawkesbury Nepean River System Coastal Management Program quarterly newsletter!
Winners have been announced for the Our Hawkesbury River photo competition - a collaboration between 6 local councils and the NSW Government.
Minister for Local Government Shelley Hancock’s media release on ‘Our Hawkesbury River’ photo competition.
The six Councils have successfully secured $317,000 in funds to develop Stage 2 of the Hawkesbury Nepean River System CMP.
Representatives of the six Partner Councils and DPE jumped on a boat to discuss and learn issues about the Lower Hawkesbury Estuary.
PROJECT LIFE CYCLE:
This study involved collation of existing information, preliminary risk assessment, community consultation strategy, and scoping of technical studies to fill key information gaps.
This phase involved community engagement, confirmation of key issues and concerns, fieldwork to confirm current knowledge, and completion of identified technical studies to fill key information gaps.
This stage involves the development and evaluation of potential management options that can address those issues identified in Stage 2 in an integrated and strategic manner.
During this stage, a Draft CMP will be prepared for agency review and public exhibition.
It will also involve the identification of funding options, addressing submissions from agencies and the community and finalisation of the program for certification.
The fifth and final stage will involve the ongoing implementation of the program by the partner councils via the Integrated Planning and Reporting framework and Community Strategic Plans.
The certified CMP will be reviewed at least every 10 years.
FAQs
What is a Coastal Management Program?
Coastal Management Programs (CMP) set the long-term strategy for the management of our coastal environments including our estuaries, lagoons, beaches and their associated catchments..
What are the "coastal" areas covered by the CMP?
The CMP study area encompasses the tidal section of the Hawkesbury-Nepean River, Pittwater, Brisbane Water and Broken Bay. Specifically the tidal area of the river system refers to the area between Yarramundi to the estuary entrance between Box Head and Barrenjoey Head.
Who's developing the Hawkesbury Nepean CMP?
The Hawkesbury Nepean River System Coastal Management Program is being coordinated by six partner councils in collaboration with other catchment councils, state government agencies, public authorities, land managers and community groups to develop the program.
Important Links
Factsheet 1 - What is the Hawkesbury Nepean River System CMP? [708 KB]
Factsheet 5 - Public Health and Safety [1249 KB]
Scoping Study (Stage 1) [10MB]
Coastal management framework [external link]
NSW Government - Coastal Management Manual [external link]
WHO IS LISTENING?
Project Coordinator - Hawkesbury Nepean River System Coastal Management Program
Sixth issue of the Hawkesbury Nepean River System CMP newsletter announces the engagement of Water Technology as a technical consultant to help the Steering Committee deliver Stages 3 and 4 of the CMP.