Coastal Management Grants Program

Funder: Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water

Program summary

The NSW Government's Coastal Management Program's primary objective is to provide support to local councils to manage the risks from coastal hazards such as coastal erosion. A secondary objective of the Program is to restore degraded coastal habitats. 

The support provided to councils under the Program includes financial assistance to:

• prepare coastline and coastal zone management plans and supporting studies
• carry out projects to reduce risks associated with coastal hazards and improve coastal environments

A review of the Program has resulted in a revised focus on funding, with a greater emphasis placed on:

• updating coastal hazard studies to incorporate sea-level rise benchmarks
• focusing on completing studies in high-hazard coastal areas

Key dates

Who can apply?

Local councils are eligible to apply.  CMAs, county councils and public land managers (such as a Crown reserve trust or a location-specific State Government authority) may apply in partnership with a lead council, providing the council is the principal applicant and assumes overall responsibility for administration of the grant. 

What will be funded?

Projects which can be subsidised under the Coastal Management Program include:

• coastal management plans and their supporting studies (e.g. coastal hazard assessments) prepared and implemented in accordance with the Coastline Management Manual and related guidelines, and the updating of these studies and plans to reflect projected sea level rise impacts.
• environmental repairs, restoration and conservation projects
•  works to reduce the risks associated with coastline hazards
• coastal foreshore improvement projects and related infrastructure to restore vegetation and habitats
• digital elevation models (LiDar or other airborne laser survey) for coastal land and near shore bathymetry, to support coastal hazard studies
• pre-construction activities for projects which are eligible for subsidy and likely to proceed to construction.

What will NOT be funded?

Funding will not be provided for:

• GST.  
• Retrospective projects. 
• Administration Costs.
• Non-monetary contributions as matching funds.  
• Contingencies. 

Current priorities

Generally the highest priority will be given to grant applications involving:

1. the upgrading of existing coastal management plans to incorporate the impacts of climate change (if these plans do not include sea level rise projections of 40 cm by 2050 and 90 cm by 2100), including the revision of coastal hazard lines for inclusion in local environmental plans and/or development control plans
2. the preparation of coastal management plans and associated technical studies
3. Digital elevation models to support coastal hazard assessments
4. works to manage the risks from coastal hazards, with priority given to projects that address public safety risks and protecting valuable publicly-owned assets
5. environmental or habitat restoration measures which are high priority actions within completed coastal management plans
6. environmental restoration works in areas not covered by coastal management plans

Note: 1 is the highest priority.

More information

Follow this link for Coastal Management Program grant information, including application forms and guidelines

Contact

Related Categories

• Environment & heritage
• Rural & regional