Amity Point Shoreline Erosion Management Plan

Developing the SEMP has been quite a journey for the residents of Amity Point and Council over several years. The SEMP is now complete and is on the agenda for endorsement by Redland City Council on 19 June 2019. Once endorsed, the SEMP will provide the framework and strategy to manage and respond to current or potential future erosion problems at Amity Point. It includes detailed investigation to establish the underlying causes of shoreline erosion, considers and specifies a number of management options and makes recommendations on their suitability. Implementing these recommendations can now commence and planning is underway to detail how that will take place.

Yesterday Redland City Council released the Final Draft Amity Point Shoreline Erosion Management Plan (SEMP) for public information.

Comments and questions can be made directly to the website for two weeks, from today until 17 April 2019, through the ‘Comment on the SEMP’ tab.The final SEMP will then go forward for endorsement by Redland City Council, formalising the SEMP as a framework and strategy to manage and respond to the erosion impacting the vulnerable foreshore of Amity Point, North Stradbroke Island.

Council has worked closely with the Amity Point SEMP Community Reference Group (CRG), a representative body that has provided a community voice throughout development of the SEMP, and would like to thank the participants for their contributions on behalf of the Amity Point community.

In consultation with the CRG and the state agencies, Council is now moving forward with an Implementation Plan to firm up the detail surrounding the recommendations in the SEMP and we expect this process to be complete in 2019.

The Amity Point SEMP has surpassed a new milestone with support from two important state agencies now having been received by Council.

On 28 February 2019, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries formally expressed their support for the SEMP in a letter to Council, which can be found in the documents library.

On 18 March 2019, the Department of Environment and Science also expressed their support for the SEMP, with Principal Coastal Scientist, Sel Sultmann by saying:

"I have reviewed the Amity Point SEMP and found it to be a well-researched and comprehensive document and note the extensive community consultation and engagement with regulatory agencies. I generally agree with the assessment of coastal processes in the area, the analysis of possible management options and support the proposed erosion management strategy as been consistent with sound coastal management principles.

The proposed strategy is generally compliant with the State Development Assessment Provisions (State Code 8: Coastal development and tidal works) and addresses marine park permitting requirements, noting that there are design, location and land tenure issues still to be resolved.

The erosion management strategy in the Amity Point SEMP is supported, however the Department is unable to endorse any proposal until the full details of works are known.

The SEMP will be of value to the Department in understanding the issue at Amity Point and for informing assessment of development applications consistent with the strategy."

Council has now formally requested endorsement from the state agencies for the Final Draft Amity Point SEMP, and we are awaiting their response. Once this has been received, the SEMP will go forward to be endorsed by Council in the New Year (2019). Following Council endorsement the SEMP will be made available for public consultation.

Following the successful site meeting in late October the Project Manager has also sought clarification from the state on their recommended processes for any works at Amity Point to help smooth the way for future development approvals down the track.

The Amity Point Shoreline Erosion Management Plan (SEMP) is in final draft and Redland City Council is now consulting with the state government agencies that have an interest in the details of the plan. As recommended by the Council’s Coastal Adaptation Steering Committee, the Project Team met on site with state agency representatives from departments of Environment and Science, Agriculture and Fisheries, State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning, as well as QYAC, as part of a pre-approval process. While not approving the SEMP as such, agencies may endorse the SEMP, thereby providing smoother passage of development applications that may be required in the future. Together with pre-lodgement feedback, the final draft will then be provided to the Amity Point SEMP Community Reference Group (CRG) and sent on to Council for formal endorsement. At the same time, the Amity Point SEMP CRG will be invited to review/ refine the draft specification for the Amity Point SEMP Implementation Plan, with a proposed procurement timeframe during December / January.

The Amity Point SEMP Reference Group met early in July for a project update.

The update covered:

· An overview of the Draft SEMP

· Draft SEMP Management Options for the Southern, Central and Northern Reaches

· Draft SEMP Implementation actions for Southern, Central and Northern Reaches

· Next steps for SEMP completion

· The SEMP Implementation Plan Phase, and

· Council’s works to extend the Flow-Slide Barrier at Millers Lane, Amity Point

The whole Reference Group Presentation – July 2018 is available under the documents section.

Council has been working with North Stradbroke Island residents, stakeholders and environmental consultants to develop a Shoreline Erosion Management Plan (SEMP) for the Amity Point area.

The SEMP will establish a framework for responding to existing erosion problems and potential future threats.

The draft SEMP has been through a number of reviews and incorporates feedback from a range of government, community and specialist sources. A final draft is now being completed.

Following consultation with the Cultural Heritage Body, Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation (QYAC), the final draft document will be presented to key stakeholders through the Amity Point Shoreline Erosion Management Plan Community Reference Group (CRG).

Council is undertaking work to investigate the requirements to effectively implement the final agreed SEMP. It is expected that the final Amity Point SEMP will be submitted for Council endorsement in late 2018, then made available to the public.

In the interim, Council will continue to liaise with the Amity Point community, through the CRG, in relation to erosion management measures.

During September and November 2017, two flow-slide erosion events occurred at Amity Point, North Stradbroke Island, resulting in significant foreshore erosion.

On 18 November 2017 a flow-slide event occurred on an area at Amity Point. The area is accessible through Council land which is used as a track to the beach and for informal parking.

The incident occurred at the Amity Point end of Flinders Beach near Toompany Street affecting approximately 30 metres of foreshore in length and causing up to 3 metre high banks at points. Three to four metres of land fell into the sea, including some trees.

Council is supervising emergency work to try to slow or halt another incidence of foreshore erosion at the site.

Council and Coastal engineers have been assessing the site, which is known for natural erosion. Council is ensuring the construction of a hard-rock flow-slide barrier at the site.

The site remains fenced off and closed to the public.

An earlier flow-slide event occurred at approximately the same site on 3 September 2017, coinciding with a high tide.

This event resulted in significant foreshore erosion and led to the construction of a flow-slide rock barrier.

Over the past three years Council has established a high-level working group with state and private sector experts and a local community reference group to help prepare a response designed to help mitigate future impacts of local erosion.

Council has been working with North Stradbroke Island residents, stakeholders and consultants to draft a Shoreline Erosion Management Plan (SEMP) for the Amity Point area.

Input has been received from a range of government, community and specialist sources, including coastal engineers. Council is completing further detailed work.

This detailed work is being undertaken for inclusion in the Draft SEMP.

In the interim, Council continues to liaise with the Amity Point community, through the reference group, in relation to erosion management measures.

Amity Point is recognised as one of Queensland’s highest areas of foreshore erosion risk.

Over the last 16 months, Council has been working with North Stradbroke Island residents, stakeholders and consultants to draft a Shoreline Erosion Management Plan for the Amity Point area.

Input has been received from a range of government, community and specialist sources, including coastal engineers from the water, coastal and environmental consultant company, Water Technology.

At the end of 2016 a draft Shoreline Erosion Management Plan was devised proposing various strategies in response to the differing erosion processes and risks at play at Amity.

This confidential document was presented for comment to Island resident representatives and stakeholders, through the specially established Amity Point Shoreline Erosion Management Plan Community Reference Group, and also sent the State Government for comment and review. The Amity Reference Group includes 12 community residents.

Since the start of the 2017, the State has been reviewing the draft document and formalising its response, which is expected in the coming weeks.

When Council receives a formal response to the draft plan, it will work with the State, and the North Stradbroke Island residents, stakeholders and consultants on the Reference Group to address any identified issues.

In addition to reviewing the Draft SEMP, further detailed work is being undertaken to investigate the necessary technical, legal and other actions required for the effective implementation of an agreed SEMP.

This detailed work is being undertaken for inclusion with the Draft SEMP package to be submitted to Council for consideration and endorsement, if agreed.

Once endorsed, the Shoreline Erosion Management Plan for Amity Point will be made public, and form the basis for the way in which erosion at Amity Point will be managed in the future.

It is expected the final SEMP package will be submitted for Council consideration in the second half of the 2017 calendar year.

Council has been working closely with the Amity Point community for the last two years on developing a shoreline erosion management plan. A key supporting study has now been completed, being a geophysical investigation of the rock armouring at Amity Point. This work further complements the hydrographic survey completed in late 2015 and enables a more informed assessment of the Amity Point shoreline.

While the SEMP is near completion a progress report has been prepared outlining the emerging management options based on the work completed to date. While this report is important, it is important to note it is not the final report or an implementation plan.

Council will be hosting an event early 2017 to present and explain the outcomes of these studies to the Amity Point Community and to continue to engage the community in the development of a shoreline erosion management plan based on these and other studies. In recognition of strong community interest in the meantime, all supporting reports and studies are available in the document library of the Coastal Erosion and Management project.