tag:theconversation.com,2011:/us/topics/coastal-management-27679/articlescoastal management – The Conversation2020-11-24T18:59:51Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1501792020-11-24T18:59:51Z2020-11-24T18:59:51ZOne of Australia’s most famous beaches is disappearing, and storms aren’t to blame. So what’s the problem?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/370768/original/file-20201123-15-42rerh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=56%2C0%2C7493%2C2795&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source"> Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-the-wild-storms-that-lash-australias-east-coast-40564">Storms</a> or <a href="https://theconversation.com/our-new-model-shows-australia-can-expect-11-tropical-cyclones-this-season-146318">tropical cyclones</a> usually get the blame when Australia’s beaches suffer severe erosion. But on the New South Wales north coast at Byron Bay, another force is at play.</p>
<p>Over the past six months, tourists and locals have been shocked to see Byron’s famous Main Beach literally <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-19/yron-bay-emergency-beach-erosion-work-begins-nsw-beaches/12780162">disappearing</a>, inundated with water and debris. In October, lifesavers were forced to temporarily close the beach because they <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/oct/20/a-lot-of-the-beach-is-gone-erosion-closes-byron-bays-main-beach">couldn’t get rescue equipment</a> onto the sand. Resident Neil Holland, who has lived in the area for 47 years, told the ABC:</p>
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<p>It’s the first time I’ve seen it this bad in all the time that I’ve been here, and it hasn’t stopped yet. The sand is just being taken away by the metre.</p>
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<p>So what’s happening? To find the answer, we combined a brief analysis of <a href="https://apps.sentinel-hub.com/eo-browser/?zoom=14&lat=-28.63595&lng=153.60191&themeId=DEFAULT-THEME">satellite imagery</a> with previous knowledge about the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780081029275000230">process behind the erosion</a> and how it has been occurring at <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025322713000807">Byron Bay</a>. The erosion is due to a process known as “<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780081029275000230">headland bypassing</a>”, and it is quite different to erosion from storms.</p>
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<h2>What is headland bypassing?</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780081029275000230%22%22">Headland bypassing</a> occurs when sand moves from one beach to another around a solid obstruction, such as a rocky headland or cape. This process is mainly driven by wave energy. Along the coast of southeast Australia, waves generate currents that move sand mostly northward along the northern NSW coastline, and on towards Queensland.</p>
<p>However, sand does not flow evenly or smoothly along the coast: when sand arrives at a beach just before a rocky headland, it builds up against the rocks and the beach grows wider. When there is too much sand for the headland to hold, or there’s a change in wave conditions, some sand will be pushed around the headland – <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025322716300780?via%3Dihub">bypassing it</a> – before continuing its journey up the coast. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/king-tides-and-rising-seas-are-predictable-and-were-not-doing-enough-about-it-91318">King tides and rising seas are predictable, and we're not doing enough about it</a>
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<p>This large lump of moving sand is called a “sand pulse” or “sand slug”. The sand pulse needs the right wave conditions to move towards the shore. Without these conditions, the beach in front of the pulse is deprived of sand and the waves and currents near the shore erode the beach.</p>
<p>Headland bypassing was first described in the 1940s. However, only about <a href="https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Handbook+of+Beach+and+Shoreface+Morphodynamics-p-9780471965701">20 years ago</a> was it recognised as an important part of the process controlling sand moving along the coast. Since then, with better technology and more data, researchers have studied the process <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780081029275000230">in more detail</a>, and helped to shed light on how headland bypassing might affect long-term coastal planning.</p>
<p>Recent studies have shown wave direction is <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169555X18301375%22%22">particularly important</a> to headland bypassing. Importantly, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0278434315000461">weather patterns that produce waves</a> are affected by <a href="https://theconversation.com/meet-el-ninos-cranky-uncle-that-could-send-global-warming-into-hyperdrive-72360">climate drivers</a> including the El Niño Southern Oscillation and the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation. So, future changes in the way these drivers behave will affect the waves and currents that move sand along our coast, which in turn affects headland bypassing and beach erosion.</p>
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<img alt="Man sitting near eroded beach" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/370979/original/file-20201124-19-15btrs9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/370979/original/file-20201124-19-15btrs9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/370979/original/file-20201124-19-15btrs9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/370979/original/file-20201124-19-15btrs9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/370979/original/file-20201124-19-15btrs9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/370979/original/file-20201124-19-15btrs9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/370979/original/file-20201124-19-15btrs9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Byron Bay’s beaches have badly eroded in recent months.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Byron Shire Council</span></span>
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<h2>What’s happening at Byron Bay?</h2>
<p>In October and November this year, a large amount of sand was present just north of Cape Byron, from <a href="https://beachsafe.org.au/beach/nsw/byron/byron-bay/wategos">Wategos Beach</a> to <a href="https://beachsafe.org.au/beach/nsw/byron/byron-bay/the-pass">The Pass Beach</a>. As this sand pulse grew, <a href="https://beachsafe.org.au/beach/nsw/byron/byron-bay/clarks">Clarkes Beach</a>, and then <a href="https://beachsafe.org.au/beach/nsw/byron/byron-bay/main-byron-bay">Main Beach</a>, were starved of their usual sand supply and began to erode. </p>
<p>The sand pulse is visible on satellite images from around April 2020. Each month, it slowly moves westward into the bay. As the sand pulse grows, the beach ahead of the pulse gradually erodes. At present Main Beach is at the eroding stage.</p>
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Read more:
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<p>Similar erosion was observed at Main Beach in the early <a href="http://nsw-coastal-explorer.domorewithmaps.com/documents/BEACH%20BEHAVIOUR%20IN%20RESPONSE%20TO%20CHANGES%20IN%20WIND,%20WAVE%20AND%20TIDAL%20CHARACTERISTICS%20AT%20BYRON%20BAY%20NSW%20-%20INTEGR.pdf">1990s</a>. The beach became wider again from 1995 to 2007. From 2009 onwards, the shoreline erosion slowly began again, and became very noticeable in the past six months.</p>
<p>The effect of sand pulses on beach erosion is not exclusive to Byron Bay. It has been described <a href="https://meridian.allenpress.com/jcr/article-abstract/32/4/863/48588">previously</a> in other locations, such as NSW’s <a href="https://www.tweed.nsw.gov.au/Documents/Environment/Tweed%20Coast/TSC04436_Coastal_Erosion_at_Kingscliff_December_2011.pdf">Kingscliff Beach</a> in 2011. In that case, the erosion risked damaging a nearby holiday park and bowling club. </p>
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<img alt="Satellite images showing sand movement around Cape Byron" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/370255/original/file-20201119-17-gmf34j.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/370255/original/file-20201119-17-gmf34j.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=455&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/370255/original/file-20201119-17-gmf34j.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=455&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/370255/original/file-20201119-17-gmf34j.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=455&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/370255/original/file-20201119-17-gmf34j.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=572&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/370255/original/file-20201119-17-gmf34j.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=572&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/370255/original/file-20201119-17-gmf34j.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=572&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Satellite images showing sand movement around Cape Byron.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Author provided</span></span>
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<h2>When will this end?</h2>
<p>Mild waves from the east to northeast, which usually occur from October to April each year, will help some of the sand pulse move onto Clarkes Beach and then further along to Main Beach. This normally happens over several months to a year. But it’s hard to say exactly when the beach will be fully restored. </p>
<p>This uncertainty underscores the need to better <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/6/3/94">forecast these processes</a>. This would help us to predict when bypassing sand pulses will occur and to manage beach erosion. </p>
<p>Climate change is <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921818118301073">expected</a> to affect wave conditions, although the exact impact on the headland bypassing process remains unclear. However, better predictions would allow the community to be informed early about expected impacts, and officials could better manage and plan for future erosion. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, Byron Bay waits and watches – knowing at least that the erosion problem will eventually improve.</p>
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<img alt="People walking along Main Beach" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/370705/original/file-20201123-19-1elrzfw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/370705/original/file-20201123-19-1elrzfw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/370705/original/file-20201123-19-1elrzfw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/370705/original/file-20201123-19-1elrzfw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/370705/original/file-20201123-19-1elrzfw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/370705/original/file-20201123-19-1elrzfw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/370705/original/file-20201123-19-1elrzfw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">The sand at Main Beach at Byron Bay, pictured here under good conditions, will eventually return.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">AAP</span></span>
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</figure><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/150179/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Over the past six months, tourists and locals have been shocked to see Byron’s famous Main Beach literally disappearing. Satellite imagery and local knowledge has revealed what’s going on.Thomas Murray, Research Fellow (Coastal Management), Griffith UniversityAna Paula da Silva, PhD Candidate, Griffith UniversityDarrell Strauss, Senior Research Fellow, Griffith UniversityGuilherme Vieira da Silva, Research Fellow, Griffith UniversityRodger Tomlinson, Director - Griffith Centre for Coastal Management, Griffith UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/913182018-02-11T19:08:31Z2018-02-11T19:08:31ZKing tides and rising seas are predictable, and we’re not doing enough about it<p>Recent <a href="https://www.ausmarinescience.com/marine-science-basics/tides/#King">king tides</a> have again caused significant damage to coastal assets in Australia and New Zealand. This time the combination of large tides and coastal storms damaged properties on <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/feb/01/king-tide-driven-by-super-blue-blood-moon-inundates-torres-strait-island">Torres Strait islands</a> and in <a href="https://www.weatherwatch.co.nz/content/perfect-storm-caused-nelson-flooding-metocean">Nelson and other coastal areas of New Zealand</a>. It is <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0964569116301119">increasingly recognised</a> worldwide that, despite many coastal adaptation plans being developed, the implementation of these plans is lagging. </p>
<p>King tides occur several times a year when the Moon is slightly closer to the Earth (so they’re sometimes called <a href="https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/perigean-spring-tide.html">perigean spring tides</a>). This means king tides are predictable, as are rising sea levels. The combination, along with sporadic storm events, will lead to increasing flooding of our coastal cities. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/hurt-by-sea-how-storm-surges-and-sea-level-rise-make-coastal-life-risky-68348">Hurt by sea: how storm surges and sea-level rise make coastal life risky</a>
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<p>Higher sea levels, whether creeping (associated with anthropogenic climate change) or transient (episodic storm events), have impacts on both private and public property and assets. What is now mostly nuisance flooding will become more problematic, and the ever-increasing global damage bill from disaster will continue to mount. </p>
<p>According to the global re-insurer Munich Re, losses from natural disasters in 2017 totalled <a href="https://www.munichre.com/en/media-relations/publications/press-releases/2018/2018-01-04-press-release/index.html">US$330 billion</a>, the second highest on record. Almost half of these losses (41%) were uninsured.</p>
<h2>Who’s responsible for adaptation plans?</h2>
<p>In keeping with the theory that risk is best managed by those closest to the risk, local government in Australia is the level of government best suited to managing such local risks. In <a href="https://theconversation.com/coastal-communities-including-24-federal-seats-at-risk-demand-action-on-climate-threats-58764">response to the increasing threat from rising sea levels</a>, many local government councils around Australia have developed coastal climate adaptation plans.</p>
<p>Federal and state governments clearly also have roles to play in managing coastal inundation. The federal government is often the insurer of last resort, especially for public infrastructure.</p>
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<p><em><strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="https://theconversation.com/coastal-communities-including-24-federal-seats-at-risk-demand-action-on-climate-threats-58764">Coastal communities, including 24 federal seats at risk, demand action on climate threats</a></em></p>
<p><em><strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="https://theconversation.com/coastal-law-shift-from-property-rights-to-climate-adaptation-is-a-landmark-reform-59083">Coastal law shift from property rights to climate adaptation is a landmark reform</a></em></p>
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<p>In Queensland, the state government has implemented the successful <a href="http://www.qcoast2100.com.au/program-purpose">QCoast2100</a> program. This is helping local governments to develop adaptation plans all along the state’s coastline.</p>
<p>It is <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212096315000169">increasingly recognised</a> that many of the plans developed in the past contain overcomplicated analyses of oversimplified adaptation options. Instead, we need less complicated ways of determining the most suitable adaptation option and assessments that consider more tailored and considered options, which will then be more readily implementable.</p>
<h2>What are the options?</h2>
<p>Coastal climate adaptation options tend to fall into one of three categories:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>retreat</strong> – relocate assets and structures inland or to higher ground</li>
<li><strong>protect</strong> – mostly by building engineered seawalls, although green infrastructure can also be implemented</li>
<li><strong>accommodate</strong> – live with the hazard but reduce the vulnerability of structures and assets.</li>
</ul>
<p>Retreat makes intuitive sense: relocating assets out of harm’s way reduces their vulnerability. However, this approach has <a href="https://theconversation.com/coastal-law-shift-from-property-rights-to-climate-adaptation-is-a-landmark-reform-59083">proved politically problematic</a>, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0964569113000926">especially for private buildings</a>.</p>
<p>Most communities are familiar with seawalls and other forms of coastal protection. Others fundamentally disagree with the principle of hard coastal protection measures.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/contested-spaces-conflict-behind-the-sand-dunes-takes-a-new-turn-74239">Contested spaces: conflict behind the sand dunes takes a new turn</a>
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<p>The third adaptation option, accommodating sea-level rise, is becoming the most popular approach in many nations, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/17/arts/design/flood-control-in-the-netherlands-now-allows-sea-water-in.html">including the low-lying Netherlands</a>. However, this approach is probably the least understood in Australia and rarely appears as the preferred option in Australian coastal adaptation plans. </p>
<p>This option includes making existing structures less vulnerable. This might involve relocating electrical and air-conditioning services and switchboards higher in existing buildings. Over time, vulnerable sites can be repurposed with less vulnerable land uses and structures. </p>
<p>This is different from pre-emptively evicting and relocating entire communities from vulnerable locations – the retreat option. The retreat option is most easily implemented immediately after major flooding that has led to significant damage. </p>
<h2>Plans must consider the politics</h2>
<p>Early coastal adaptation plans commonly advocated mass pre-emptive coastal retreat, but local government often ended up shelving or rejecting such recommendations. Instead, councils simply commissioned the construction of small local seawalls in areas at risk of erosion.</p>
<p>More developed and recent coastal adaptation plans consider finer spatial scales. What they still often don’t do is consider more sophisticated and politically informed adaptation options and approaches. </p>
<p>Hence adaptation planning is still often best characterised as the “plan and forget” approach. These plans typically lack monitoring and evaluation and a realistic implementation strategy.</p>
<p>Increased flooding of our coastline is inevitable and happening. Therefore, adaptation planning needs to consider more nuanced options that are likely to be more politically palatable and implementable.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/91318/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mark Gibbs is a Director of Green Cross Australia and Coastal Adaptation Solutions. Mark is also the Chair of the Queensland Government Climate Adaptation Strategy Partners group.</span></em></p>King tides and rising seas are an increasing and predictable threat, but adaptation plans to limit the damage to coastal property are still not managing the political obstacles.Mark Gibbs, Director, Knowledge to Innovation; Chair, Green Cross Australia, Queensland University of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/742392017-03-17T03:01:33Z2017-03-17T03:01:33ZContested spaces: conflict behind the sand dunes takes a new turn<p><em>This is the eleventh article in our <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/contested-spaces-36316">Contested Spaces</a> series. These pieces look at the conflicting uses, expectations and norms that people bring to public spaces, the clashes that result and how we can resolve these.</em></p>
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<p>When we think of coasts, we are likely to think about the great sandy beaches that have been the destination for many day trips and long weekends. At times these spaces have been <a href="https://theconversation.com/contested-spaces-we-shall-fight-on-the-beaches-72265">sources of contestation</a>, especially in areas of public access and codes of conduct. However, behind the sand dunes are other landscapes with deep histories of social conflict. </p>
<p>Moments from coastal pasts have had a major impact on how we see different coasts today. They feed into distinct ideals and ethics on place, especially in terms of how it is developed. </p>
<h2>Noosa Heads versus Surfers Paradise</h2>
<p>Noosa Heads is a prime example of this. Noosa’s history during colonisation includes a number of difficult stories to tell. Examples include the contentious tale of the <a href="https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjd_buo0tTSAhVEwLwKHXw_APEQFggvMAM&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theaustralian.com.au%2Farts%2Freview%2Ftale-of-eliza-fraser-shipwrecked-in-1836-takes-aboriginal-perspective%2Fnews-story%2F7d2b7438cb119c34aacc15c43c7290f7&usg=AFQjCNHNV5jjhaN1tHIcdjrP9lc0hCYIgg">rescue of Eliza Fraser</a>, or the fate of the traditional owners, the <a href="http://www.gubbigubbi.com/">Gubbi Gubbi</a> people, at the hands of the colonial settlers and the native police. </p>
<p>Yet it was in the 1960s when modern conflict over land use really took shape in Noosa. A proposal by the developer T.M. Burke to build a resort at Alexandria Bay created a stir among locals. The local shire was set to build an access road around the headland, destroying well-trodden walking tracks. </p>
<p>A group led by local Arthur Harrold fought this proposal and formed the still-operating <a href="http://www.noosaparks.org.au/">Noosa Parks Association</a>. Thus began a long-standing fight against over-development, mining and other impediments to what residents saw as the natural beauty of the coast. This included the <a href="http://www.kinaba.org/cooloola-conflict">Cooloola Conflict</a> and the now-famed resistance to high-rise development. </p>
<p>While there are elements of conservationism here to consider, these conflicts arose in a bid to keep Noosa low-key, with a slower mentality and authentic natural surrounds. Today, these ethics of authenticity are firmly <a href="https://www.noosa.qld.gov.au/documents/40217326/40227843/Noosa%20Design%20Principles.pdf">embedded in planning regulation</a>, illustrating the strength of local resistance past. </p>
<p>Noosa residents’ key fear in the 1960s and ’70s was losing their sense of place to the different ideals embodied in another coastal mecca, Surfers Paradise. Like Noosa, Surfers has a long history of conflict. Yet this place developed much differently due to several key factors. </p>
<p>Arguably, the significant turning point was in 1925 when <a href="http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/cavill-james-freeman-jim-9713">Jim Cavill</a> bought the then Elston Hotel and renamed it the “Surfers Paradise” hotel. Cavill and his wife proceeded to turn the coastal setting into something more than a place to bathe or surf. </p>
<p>Alongside the hotel, they built a zoo full of exotic animals that gave the place a peculiar flavor. Having been influenced by the American example of how to develop coasts, Cavill exhibited a desire to construct Surfers Paradise as an exotic international resort. However, due to the war in the Pacific, Surfers Paradise was restricted by building codes, frustrating locals who were eager to begin making the space bigger.</p>
<p>Shortly after the war, the codes eased and developers flocked to the “Golden Coast”. In the course of development, local leaders such as the progress association often came into conflict with governance. </p>
<p>In the example of parking meters, this led to the controversial <a href="http://www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/thegoldcoast/surfers-paradise-history-2764.html">meter maid scheme</a>, which further established Surfers Paradise’s theme as an overtly transgressive and sexualised place. </p>
<h2>Conflicts of a climate-changed future</h2>
<p>In both spaces, conflicts have continued into contemporary times. </p>
<p>Recently, for instance, the fight against the proposed <a href="http://www.saveourspit.com/">Southport Spit</a> development has again drawn locals into conflict with authorities. Such fights against development continue up and down our coastlines. These are mostly driven by the desire to maintain a specific lifestyle and aesthetic appeal. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/160425/original/image-20170313-19256-1a945hj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/160425/original/image-20170313-19256-1a945hj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/160425/original/image-20170313-19256-1a945hj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=448&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/160425/original/image-20170313-19256-1a945hj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=448&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/160425/original/image-20170313-19256-1a945hj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=448&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/160425/original/image-20170313-19256-1a945hj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=563&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/160425/original/image-20170313-19256-1a945hj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=563&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/160425/original/image-20170313-19256-1a945hj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=563&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">An East Coast Low storm event along the Victorian coastline offers just a hint of the risks of sealevel rise in a future of climate change.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>However, early critics of coastal development saw other concerns about coastal development. For instance, in 1879 a journalist for The Gympie Times, while contemplating the construction of Noosa and Tewantin, wondered about the location of the village and whether one day seawater might be running between you and your <a href="http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/170582221?searchTerm=tewantin&searchLimits=l-title=839%7C%7C%7Cl-decade=187">neighbour</a>.</p>
<p>While we have different motivations for maintaining or developing our coastal places, we seem to neglect discussions about the risks of living so close to the ocean. </p>
<p>As we approach a climate-changed future, issues of <a href="https://theconversation.com/hurt-by-sea-how-storm-surges-and-sea-level-rise-make-coastal-life-risky-68348">sea-level rise and coastal flooding</a> are going to challenge our <a href="https://theconversation.com/coastal-law-shift-from-property-rights-to-climate-adaptation-is-a-landmark-reform-59083">thinking about coasts</a>. </p>
<p>History has shown that several of our coastal meccas are already <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-role-of-climate-change-in-eastern-australias-wild-storms-60552">susceptible to significant damage</a> from storms and cyclones. We scramble to rebuild following these events, but few debates are had about retreating away from the sea. </p>
<p>As we continue into that risky climate-changed landscape, however, we might see <a href="https://theconversation.com/risky-business-how-companies-are-getting-smart-about-climate-change-65221">new players like insurance companies</a> become increasingly important. </p>
<p>Already in the tropics, insurance premiums have <a href="http://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/climate-change/maps-show-areas-that-will-be-most-affected-by-rising-sea-levels/news-story/57d33f3fdf52a6baf9491ffcd4f1a570">caused a stir</a> politically and in the media. In the future, though, we may need to consider to whether we have to redefine our relationship with coasts as they become more risky places to live. </p>
<hr>
<p><em>You can find other pieces published in the series <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/contested-spaces-36316">here</a>.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/74239/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nick Osbaldiston does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Conflicts over coastal areas have largely been between development and preserving what makes these attractive places to live. Rising sea levels are now complicating our relationship with the coast.Nick Osbaldiston, Senior Lecturer in Sociology, James Cook UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/720782017-03-15T03:59:23Z2017-03-15T03:59:23ZContested spaces: saving nature when our beaches have gone to the dogs<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/160086/original/image-20170308-24179-dflmw8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Early in the morning and late in the evening is when shorebirds escape disturbance on the beaches on which their survival depends.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://pixabay.com/en/seagulls-gulls-shore-birds-beach-241953/">Arnuchulo</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>This is the ninth article in our <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/contested-spaces-36316">Contested Spaces</a> series. These pieces look at the conflicting uses, expectations and norms that people bring to public spaces, the clashes that result and how we can resolve these.</em></p>
<hr>
<p>There’s no doubt about it, Australians love the beach. And why not? Being outdoors <a href="http://www.nature.com/articles/srep28551">makes us happy</a>, and all <a href="https://theconversation.com/contested-spaces-we-shall-fight-on-the-beaches-72265">beaches are public places</a> in Australia.</p>
<p>Head to a beach like Bondi on Christmas Day and you’ll share that space with more than 40,000 people. But we aren’t just jostling with each other for coveted beach space. Scuttling, waddling, hopping or flying away from beachgoers all around Australia are crabs, shorebirds, baby turtles, crocodiles, fairy penguins and even dingoes. </p>
<p>Beaches are home to an incredible array of animals, and sharing this busy space with people is critical to their survival. But, if we find it hard to share our beaches <a href="https://theconversation.com/contested-spaces-we-shall-fight-on-the-beaches-72265">with each other</a>, how can we possibly find space for nature on our beaches? </p>
<h2>Beach birds</h2>
<p>Here’s a classic example of how hard it is to share our beaches with nature. Head to a busy beach at dawn, before the crowds arrive, and you will most likely see a number of small birds darting about. </p>
<p>You may recognise them from the short movie <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGsoNm86nD8">Piper</a> – they are shorebirds. As the day progresses, swimmers, kite surfers, dog walkers, horse riders, 4x4s and children descend upon the beach en masse, unwittingly disturbing the shorebirds.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/e7v2zDZBf6g?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">We share beaches with an extraordinary array of life, including many shorebirds.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Unlike seabirds, shorebirds do not spend their life at sea. Instead, they specialise on the beach: foraging for their invertebrate prey, avoiding waves, or resting. </p>
<p>However, shorebird numbers in Australia are <a href="http://www.publish.csiro.au/MU/MU15056">declining very rapidly</a>. Several species are officially listed as nationally threatened, such as the critically endangered <a href="http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicspecies.pl?taxon_id=847">Eastern Curlew</a>.</p>
<p>There are few places you can let your dog run for as long and as far as it pleases, which is one of the reasons beaches appeal to dog owners. But this disturbance results in heavy costs to the birds as they expend energy taking flight and cannot return to favourable feeding areas. Repeated disturbance can cause temporary or permanent abandonment of suitable habitat. </p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/160088/original/image-20170308-24226-avq9ze.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/160088/original/image-20170308-24226-avq9ze.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/160088/original/image-20170308-24226-avq9ze.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=679&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/160088/original/image-20170308-24226-avq9ze.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=679&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/160088/original/image-20170308-24226-avq9ze.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=679&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/160088/original/image-20170308-24226-avq9ze.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=854&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/160088/original/image-20170308-24226-avq9ze.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=854&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/160088/original/image-20170308-24226-avq9ze.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=854&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The world’s largest shorebirds, Eastern Curlews are critically endangered – and Australia is home to about 75% of them over summer.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/dhobern/15847904525/in/photolist-aEowdB-5fqeJk-D2MpGg-naot7x-diwQ95-dKdPZo-nao9fX-qDajny-gDs6MR-h4TcLF-pS1mit-q9qDTc-Ds1wFZ-CCToKr-bmFewo">Donald Hobern/flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The fascinating thing about many of these shorebirds is that they are migratory. Beachgoers in Korea, China, Indonesia or New Zealand could observe the same individual bird that we have seen in Australia. </p>
<p>Yet these journeys come at a cost. Shorebirds must undertake gruelling flights of up to 16,000 kilometres twice a year to get from their breeding grounds in Siberia and Alaska to their feeding grounds in Australia and New Zealand. In their pursuit of an endless summer, they arrive in Australia severely weakened by their travels. They must almost double their body weight before they can migrate again.</p>
<p>And these birds must contend with significant daily disruption on their feeding grounds. A <a href="onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2664.12662/abstract">recent study in Queensland</a> found an average of 174 people and 72 dogs were present at any one time on the foreshore of Moreton Bay, along Brisbane’s coastline. And 84% of dogs were off the leash – an off-leash dog was sighted every 700 metres – in potential contravention of <a href="https://www.npsr.qld.gov.au/parks/moreton-bay/about.html">regulations on dog control</a>. </p>
<h2>Managing the menagerie</h2>
<p>One conservation approach is to set up nature reserves. This involves trying to keep people out of large areas of the coastal zone to provide a home for nature. Yet this rarely works in practice on beaches, where there are so many overlapping jurisdictions (for example, councils often don’t control the lower areas of the intertidal zone) that <a href="http://www.publish.csiro.au/mu/MU15046">protection is rarely joined up</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/160091/original/image-20170309-24182-1akelhs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/160091/original/image-20170309-24182-1akelhs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/160091/original/image-20170309-24182-1akelhs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/160091/original/image-20170309-24182-1akelhs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/160091/original/image-20170309-24182-1akelhs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/160091/original/image-20170309-24182-1akelhs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/160091/original/image-20170309-24182-1akelhs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/160091/original/image-20170309-24182-1akelhs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The beach-nesting Hooded Plover is unique to Australia where it is listed as vulnerable (and critically endangered in NSW).</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hooded_Plover_-_Phillip_Is_-_Victoria.jpg">Francesco Veronesi/Wikimedia Commons</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/160078/original/image-20170308-24201-13o3hf7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/160078/original/image-20170308-24201-13o3hf7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/160078/original/image-20170308-24201-13o3hf7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/160078/original/image-20170308-24201-13o3hf7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/160078/original/image-20170308-24201-13o3hf7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/160078/original/image-20170308-24201-13o3hf7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/160078/original/image-20170308-24201-13o3hf7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/160078/original/image-20170308-24201-13o3hf7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hooded_Plover_eggs444.jpg">Benjamint444/Wikimedia Commons</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>However, <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2664.12662/abstract">our work</a> at the University of Queensland shows we don’t need conservation reserves in which people are kept out. Quite the reverse. We should be much bolder in opening up areas that are specifically designated as dog off-leash zones, in places where demand for recreation is high.</p>
<p>In the case of Moreton Bay, 97% of foraging migratory shorebirds could be protected from disturbance simply by designating five areas as off-leash recreation zones. Currently, dogs must be kept under close control throughout the intertidal areas of Moreton Bay.</p>
<p>By zoning our beaches carefully, the science tells us that the most intense recreational activities can be located away from critical areas for nature. And there’s no reason why this logic couldn’t be extended to creating peaceful zones for beach users who prefer a quiet day out.</p>
<p>By approaching the problem scientifically, we can meet recreational demand as well as protect nature. Proper enforcement of the boundaries between zones is needed. Such enforcement is effective when carried out in the <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2664.12606/abstract">right places at the right time</a>.</p>
<p>We believe that keeping people and their dogs off beaches to protect nature is neither desirable nor effective. It sends totally the wrong message – successful conservation is about living alongside nature, not separating ourselves from it. </p>
<p>Conservationists and recreationists should be natural allies, both working to safeguard our beautiful coasts. The key is to find ways that people and nature can co-exist on beaches.</p>
<hr>
<p><em>You can find other pieces published in the series <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/contested-spaces-36316">here</a>.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/72078/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Madeleine Stigner received funding for the work referred to in this article from Birds Queensland and the Queensland Wader Study Group Nigel Roberts Student Research Fund. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kiran Dhanjal-Adams received funding for the work referred to in this article from the Centre of Excellence in Environmental Decisions, the Australian Research Council, Queensland Department of Environment and Heritage Protection, the Commonwealth Department of the Environment, the Queensland Wader Study Group, the Port of Brisbane Pty Ltd, the Goodman Foundation and Birdlife Australia’s Stuart Leslie Award. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Richard Fuller received funding for the work referred to in this article from the National Environmental Science Programme's Threatened Species Recovery Hub, the Australian Research Council, Queensland Department of Environment and Heritage Protection, the Commonwealth Department of the Environment, the Queensland Wader Study Group, the Port of Brisbane Pty Ltd, the Goodman Foundation and Birdlife Australia’s Stuart Leslie Award.</span></em></p>We aren’t just jostling with each other for beach space. Scuttling, waddling, hopping or flying away from beachgoers all around Australia, wildlife struggles to survive the daily disturbances.Madeleine Stigner, Research assistant, The University of QueenslandKiran Dhanjal-Adams, Research Associate Ecological Modeller, UK Centre for Ecology & HydrologyRichard Fuller, Associate Professor in Biodiversity and Conservation, The University of QueenslandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/722652017-03-05T19:13:42Z2017-03-05T19:13:42ZContested spaces: we shall fight on the beaches…<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/159044/original/image-20170301-5504-9l8m8i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">People go to the beach in large numbers and for many different reasons, and sometimes that's a recipe for conflict.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/crowded-beach-371178272?src=rU6F0l-T4o4s1musKx1Kcg-1-0">tazzymoto from www.shutterstock.com</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>This is the first article in our <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/contested-spaces-36316">Contested Spaces</a> series. These pieces look at the conflicting uses, expectations and norms that people bring to public spaces, the clashes that result and how we can resolve these.</em></p>
<hr>
<p>Picture this. It’s a beautiful sunny day. You arrive on the beach, find yourself a nice quiet area away from the crowds and set yourself up for a day of relaxation and fun in the sun. </p>
<p>But then a large group arrives and sets themselves up right next to you. They’re drinking heavily, swearing loudly and leaving their rubbish in the sand. And things are about to get worse. </p>
<p>In the distance you can hear the unmistakable buzz of a jet ski heading for your once-quiet part of the beach. The day is lost. You pack up and head home.</p>
<p>Australians are a beach-going people and research suggests that the scenario outlined above is likely to seriously annoy at least half of us. A <a href="http://www.marine.nsw.gov.au/key-initiatives/marine-estate-community-survey#Final%20reports">2014 survey</a> of New South Wales residents found that 58% of respondents considered anti-social behaviour a key threat to the social benefits of the coast. The survey was conducted for the state’s Marine Estate Management Authority (<a href="http://www.marine.nsw.gov.au/">MEMA</a>).</p>
<p>Anti-social behaviour topped the list of community concerns in the survey. This was closely followed by littering, overcrowding and the unsafe behaviour of some recreational boaters and jet skiers.</p>
<p>The strength of this response was somewhat surprising; we tend to think of the coast as a place of fun and relaxation, rather than a hot bed of conflict and simmering tensions. But Australians have always had strong ideas about the right way to behave at the beach.</p>
<h2>A tradition of free public access</h2>
<p>First and foremost we have defended the right of free access the beach. Australians have a long and ongoing <a href="https://carolinefordhistory.com/sydney-beaches-a-history/">history of resistance</a> to any development that might impede public access. </p>
<p>The legacy of this is a relatively “natural” coastal environment, even in our metropolitan areas. This reflects our preference for development set back from the beach and in public ownership.</p>
<p>But while we are keen to keep our beaches open for all, we have a slightly less egalitarian attitude towards how people should use the beach. </p>
<p>Public bathing on the beach only became commonplace and <a href="http://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/places/national/bondi">acceptable in the late 19th century</a>. Board riding on public beaches was frowned upon in the 1960s – so much so that local councils in Sydney <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10314619408595963">attempted to regulate surfing</a> through a registration system.</p>
<p>Today, activities such as surfing, swimming and snorkelling are generally agreed to be appropriate. In fact, these are seen as essential components of Australian beach culture.</p>
<h2>The unwritten rules of conduct</h2>
<p>Many beach activities are generally accepted and uncontentious as long as they are conducted within complex, unwritten models of appropriate behaviour. An example is the rules about “<a href="http://www.surfline.com/surfology/bill-of-lefts-and-rights/index.cfm?id=51320">dropping in</a>” among surfers.</p>
<p>These unwritten rules are constantly evolving. The rules may be <a href="http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/nswcultureheritage/PlaceMakingGeorgesRiver.htm">confounding to people not exposed to them from an early age</a>, including different cultural and ethnic groups. Conflict on the coast is often infused with underlying racial tensions, as the 2005 <a href="https://theconversation.com/ten-years-on-from-the-cronulla-riots-how-much-has-really-changed-50585">Cronulla riots</a> demonstrated most dramatically. </p>
<p>Today these tensions live on and are particularly acute in relation to fishing. Conflicting cultural ideas about the size, species and number of fish and invertebrates considered appropriate to take is a regular <a href="https://epress.lib.uts.edu.au/journals/index.php/TfC/article/download/1558/1692">source of dispute</a> even for common species not covered by catch limits.</p>
<h2>When ideas about beaches are in conflict</h2>
<p>While racial tensions undoubtedly play a role, these are unlikely to explain all the tensions and annoyances that can emerge during a day at the beach. The MEMA survey indicated that we value the coast for its beauty and as a place for socialisation and enjoyment. This is largely based on the opportunities it provides for a healthy and active lifestyle. </p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/159046/original/image-20170301-5529-1q08e53.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/159046/original/image-20170301-5529-1q08e53.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/159046/original/image-20170301-5529-1q08e53.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=734&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/159046/original/image-20170301-5529-1q08e53.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=734&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/159046/original/image-20170301-5529-1q08e53.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=734&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/159046/original/image-20170301-5529-1q08e53.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=923&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/159046/original/image-20170301-5529-1q08e53.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=923&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/159046/original/image-20170301-5529-1q08e53.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=923&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">One person’s idea of fun at the beach can be another’s hell.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/fleur-design/3612355391">The Pug Father/flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Dominant social norms therefore place the beach as a place of passive recreation focused on relaxation, appreciation of nature and wilderness-based adventure sports (such as surfing or fishing). Resentments appear to build when uses of the beach, and different users’ underlying value systems, come into conflict. In the scenario outlined at the start of this article, individuals or groups are potentially pursuing hedonistic or utilitarian values at the expense of nature-based or passive-use values. </p>
<p>Similar resentments have emerged in reverse. Individuals or groups who value the coast primarily as a place of social interaction, fun and active use often resist attempts to limit this use. An example is some <a href="https://theconversation.com/go-fish-why-fishers-dont-care-for-marine-parks-14558">anglers’ opposition to protected areas</a> or restricted-use zones.</p>
<p>A key to managing conflict therefore lies in improving our understanding of beach users’ value systems. This will help planners, policymakers and communities identify strategies that cater for the diverse interests and needs of different users. </p>
<p>In some national parks and council areas, for example, planning approaches have been developed to cater for a diverse range of recreational opportunities. Permitted activities and associated infrastructure are determined throughout the management area based on ensuring there are <a href="http://www.projectnatureed.com.au/web%20library/micro-ROS.pdf">opportunities along a spectrum of use</a> from active through to wilderness-based experiences. In NSW, government agencies are using the MEMA survey results to <a href="http://www.marine.nsw.gov.au/key-initiatives/threat-and-risk-assessment">identify and manage key threats</a> to the values of the coast.</p>
<p>In many ways, though, the conflict we see on our beaches may be a small price to pay for the free and open access to our beaches, which Australians have fought to preserve on many occasions. </p>
<p>Resolving these conflicts may partly involve planning, partly education and partly regulation. Those rules we consider non-negotiable need to be enforced – for example, the rules that keep us and other beach users safe. To a large degree, however, it also involves building tolerance, patience and empathy within our community so we can all enjoy our day out at the beach.</p>
<hr>
<p><em>You can read other pieces in the series as they are published <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/contested-spaces-36316">here</a>.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/72265/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michelle Voyer has been involved in a number of projects that have received funding from the Commonwealth Fisheries Research and Development Corporation, the NSW Recreational Fishing Trust and the NSW Department of Primary Industries. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Natalie Gollan works for the NSW Department of Primary Industries. </span></em></p>In many ways, the conflict we see on our beaches may be a small price to pay for the free and open access to our beaches, which Australians have long fought to preserve.Michelle Voyer, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of WollongongNatalie Gollan, PhD candidate, University of Technology SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/590832016-05-23T02:22:02Z2016-05-23T02:22:02ZCoastal law shift from property rights to climate adaptation is a landmark reform<p>Coastal management in Australia is subject to competing interests and challenges. These range from land use and strategic planning issues to ecosystems preservation. Local councils are at the coalface as both key decision-makers and the first point of contact for communities. </p>
<p>Exacerbating these day-to-day challenges for councils are risks to property. A quantitative assessment undertaken by the then-Department of Climate Change in 2009 identified impacts of sea-level rise as a <a href="https://www.environment.gov.au/climate-change/adaptation/publications/climate-change-risks-australias-coasts">serious threat to property</a>. </p>
<p>In New South Wales, under scenarios of a 1.1-metre sea-level rise, risks of damage or inundation to residential housing alone affected tens of thousands of properties, potentially costing millions of dollars. The NSW 2009 sea-level rise policy (now repealed) saw coastal councils considering this future risk when developing coastal zone management plans. </p>
<p>These metrics, while important, say little of the wide-ranging benefits of a freely accessible coast. Going to the beach is a fundamental part of Australian identity; it’s a “<a href="http://www.australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/beach">special place</a>” for Australians.</p>
<p>Local councils are most exposed to the issues and challenges of a changing coastline in which there are many interests. Councils are often the first decision-makers for local development, asset management and land-use and strategic planning. Increased coastal erosion, storm events, more frequent and severe flooding impacts and higher tides can and will make these regular functions of councils <a href="http://www.ga.gov.au/ausgeonews/ausgeonews201103/climate.jsp">more complicated</a>. </p>
<p>In this context, the tabling of the NSW <a href="https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/bills/Pages/bill-details.aspx?pk=3291">Coastal Management Bill</a> on May 3 marks the formalisation of Stage 2 of the most significant law reform to coastal management since the 1970s. The NSW <a href="http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/resources/coasts/coastreforms-minister-speech-13nov14.pdf">state government says</a> that, by better integrating coastal management with land-use planning, the legislation offers:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>… a modern, coherent coastal management framework that is responsive to current needs and future challenges. </p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Property rights hold sway</h2>
<p>Despite a prominent <a href="http://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/completed/climate-change-adaptation/report">focus on property values</a> when it comes to coastal management issues, including climate adaptation, evidence is emerging that residents are <a href="http://sydney.edu.au/environment-institute/events/the-small-changes-coastal-vulnerability-to-sea-level-rise/">attached to their property for more than financial reasons</a>. </p>
<p>Private property interests often take priority as councils attempt to balance competing interests. An example of this is ongoing litigation over a sandbag wall on Belongil Beach in Byron Bay.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/123466/original/image-20160523-9520-qv1tf6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/123466/original/image-20160523-9520-qv1tf6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/123466/original/image-20160523-9520-qv1tf6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=623&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/123466/original/image-20160523-9520-qv1tf6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=623&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/123466/original/image-20160523-9520-qv1tf6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=623&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/123466/original/image-20160523-9520-qv1tf6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=783&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/123466/original/image-20160523-9520-qv1tf6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=783&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/123466/original/image-20160523-9520-qv1tf6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=783&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">With coastal defences failing, some councils are moving to policies of ‘planned retreat’.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WAVES_EXPLODE_AGAINST_SEAWALL._CHICAGO,_IL._HOUSE_ON_LEFT_IS_THREATENED_BY_BEACH_EROSION._U.S._ARMY_CORPS_OF..._-_NARA_-_547114.jpg">Wikimedia Commons/Paul Sequeira, US EPA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>After a series of severe coastal storms in the 1970s, Byron Shire Council <a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/archive/news/byron-bay-mayor-jan-barham-vows-no-retreat-on-beach-barriers/story-e6frg6o6-1225778397737">adopted a policy of “planned retreat”</a>. The location of this small northern NSW community on the most easterly point of Australia means it is already exposed to coastal hazards. These will become more frequent and more severe under future climate scenarios.</p>
<p>The planned retreat policy set requirements for the future relocation of private property. Local property owners, particularly those with beachfront property, have <a href="http://www.byronnews.com.au/news/planned-retreat-comes-under-fire/261927/">vehemently opposed</a> the use of the policy to prevent coastal property protection. </p>
<p>In May 2009, a particularly severe coastal storm caused significant damage to private residential property and the beach. Beachfront property owners (the Vaughans) sought to reinstate council-approved sandbag protection works on their property. This sandbag wall had collapsed during the storm. </p>
<p>The <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1745-5871.12170/abstract">Vaughans sued the council and the council sued the Vaughans</a>. This particular matter settled in February 2010 and the failed sandbag wall has been reinstated. </p>
<p>More recently, council plans to install a <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-05-21/belongil-wall/6487246">permanent rock wall at the same location</a> ran into <a href="http://www.echo.net.au/2015/05/protest-planned-against-byron-councillors-rock-wall/">fierce opposition from the community</a>, for whom the public amenity of the beach is critical, and <a href="http://www.edonsw.org.au/positive_change_for_marine_life">legal challenges</a>. </p>
<p>This example highlights some critical aspects of coastal management:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>private property rights are deeply entrenched in Australian culture and legal systems</p></li>
<li><p>climate adaptation is easier when it comes to future development</p></li>
<li><p>recourse to litigation in protecting your property is much easier if you can afford it. </p></li>
</ul>
<p>Climate adaptation planning, including planned retreat, can be more easily implemented for future development. There are <a href="http://www.esc.nsw.gov.au/inside-council/project-and-exhibitions/major-projects-and-works/coastal-projects/sea-level-rise">excellent examples of local government</a> in NSW providing landowners with a range of development options. </p>
<h2>NSW reforms weigh future risks</h2>
<p>Much of the coast of Australia, however, is already developed. The residential development includes <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Nicole_Gurran/publication/228634993_Planning_for_affordable_housing_in_coastal_sea_change_communities/links/00b4953c1e7805f410000000.pdf">affordable housing options</a>. To balance competing interests along the coast, all members of coastal communities must be considered. </p>
<p>To this end, the NSW bill, if passed, would <a href="http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/coasts/coastreforms-act.htm">lead to a new Coastal Management Act</a>, a new <a href="http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/resources/coasts/coastal-management-sepp.pdf">Coastal Management State Environmental Planning Policy</a> and a <a href="http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/coasts/coastreforms-manual.htm">coastal management manual</a>. Together these advance a more forward-thinking coastal management response. This has a central focus on ecologically sustainable development that can better balance both the management of coastal hazards and the integrity of the coast. </p>
<p>Local councils will be responsible for implementing these new legal requirements. Under Part 3 of the Coastal Management Bill, councils will be required to monitor coastal hazards and to give effect to coastal management plans. It would appear this includes future sea-level rise.</p>
<p>As has been advocated in <a href="https://theconversation.com/coastal-communities-including-24-federal-seats-at-risk-demand-action-on-climate-threats-58764">numerous policy reports</a>, the councils can’t do this alone. They need assistance from the federal government as well as the state.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/59083/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Tayanah O'Donnell undertakes research with the University of Canberra funded by the National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility and the ACT Government. She also the principal of PlaceAdapt Consulting.</span></em></p>Many properties are at risk from rising sea levels, with owners and councils at odds over the costs of defending these. NSW law reform may lead to more forward-looking climate change adaptation.Tayanah O'Donnell, Research Fellow, University of CanberraLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.