Council received a letter from the Hon. Wendy Tuckerman, NSW Minister for Local Government on Thursday, 12 October confirming that the Manning Estuary Coastal Management program (CMP) has been certified under the Coastal Management Act 2016. The certification recognises that the CMP meets the requirements of the Act and the mandatory requirements outlined in the Coastal Management Manual.

The Minister commended Council on achieving certification of its CMP, noting it will be “an important document to guide Council and other stakeholders’ management of the Manning Estuary coastal zone.

The CMP covers issues and actions relating exclusively to the Coastal Zone mapped in the State Environmental Planning Policy – Coastal Management. It is an extract of the overarching Manning River Estuary and Catchment Management Program, adopted by Council in July 2022 to manage catchment inputs including nutrients, sediments and leachate from acid sulfate soils.

Certification is timely – Council’s Natural Systems team submitted four grant applications seeking $2.3M from the NSW Coast and Estuary Program which are now eligible for 2:1 funding.

The funding proposals currently being assessed include restoration of coastal wetlands and riparian vegetation (CMP Actions 2.01-2.03); a community engagement program to build capacity for stewardship (Actions 1.01, 1.02, 1.03, 1.04); and implementation of the CMP’s monitoring and evaluation program (Action 2.13).