Something to think about as many of us frolic by the sea over the holidays

Something to think about from the NSW Dept. of Environment, Climate Change and Water as many of us in New South Wales frolic by the sea over the holidays:

The NSW Government has adopted a Sea Level Rise Policy Statement (NSW Government 2009) to support consistent adaptation to projected sea level rise impacts. The Policy Statement includes sea level rise planning benchmarks for use in assessing the potential impacts of projected sea level rise in coastal areas, including flood risk and coastal hazard assessments, development assessment, coastal infrastructure design processes and land use planning exercises.

These benchmarks are a projected rise in sea level (relative to the 1990 mean sea level) of 0.4 metres by 2050 and 0.9 metres by 2100 (Department of Environment, Climate Change

and Water (DECCW) 2009). The projections were derived from sea level rise projections by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC 2007) and the CSIRO (McInnes et al

2007). These benchmarks will be periodically reviewed…..

Depending on the rate and scale of sea level rise, the environmental, social and economic consequences, in particular within low-lying intertidal areas, are expected to be significant.

In addition to open coast recession and higher inundation levels, saltwater intrusion and landward advance of tidal limits within estuaries will have significant implications for freshwater and saltwater ecosystems and development margins, particularly building structures and foundation systems within close proximity to the shoreline. Existing coastal gravity drainage, stormwater infrastructure and sewerage systems may become compromised over time as the mean sea level rises. Sea level rise will also influence entrance opening regimes for intermittently closed and open lakes and lagoons (ICOLLs). The level of protection provided by existing seawalls and other hard engineering structures will decrease over time due to the increasing threat from larger storm surges and inundation at higher projected water levels….

Increasing mean sea level over time will have two primary impacts within and adjacent to tidal waterways:

 increasing still water levels over time and

 subsequent recession of unconsolidated shorelines.

Old Bar NSW

Belongil NSW

Kingscliff NSW

Forster NSW

Hawks Nest NSW

* Photographs found at Google Images