EVERY year around the world, 5 June signifies World Environment Day (WED) – a date set aside by the United Nations for encouraging global awareness and action for the environment.
With WED 2014 in mind, Port Macquarie-Hastings Council will be hosting a public information session to present the results of a project mapping sea level rise (SLR) across the local government area.
The council commissioned BMT WBM to undertake an estuary and coastline mapping study after it recognised the potential impact of climate change in the form of SLR and the affects more frequent tidal inundation posed from a planning and operational sense.
The aim of the study – which was partially funded by the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage – was to help identify areas considered at greatest risk from SLR in three estuarine systems: the Hastings River, Lake Cathie and the Camden Haven River.
The council’s development and environment director Matt Rogers said the results would help ensure public assets are designed appropriately in the future so they can cope with any possible changes to the climate.
He said the study had identified a number of key residential areas in the Hastings River Estuary that will possibly be impacted by more frequent tidal inundation, exacerbated by SLR. Those areas include North Shore, Settlement Point, the CBD, Hastings River Drive and Riverside.
Other areas not currently impacted by tidal inundation may start experiencing infrequent inundation including areas along Hibbard Drive, Kooloonbung Creek and Blackmans Creek.
The study found that few properties experience tidal inundation at Lake Cathie/Lake Innes and this would remain the case – even with 50-year and 100-year tidal events. Key tidally impacted areas in the Camden Haven area will include many properties in Dunbogan, many properties in North Haven (west of the bowling club) and a number of properties in Laurieton (near Ocean Drive Bridge).
The session will be held next Tuesday 10 June between 5pm and 7pm in the function room at council’s administration centre in Port Macquarie. All interested members of the public are welcome to attend.
