Coastal hazards such as inundation and erosion are natural processes. However, these hazards are increasing as our warming climate is causing sea levels to rise and storms to increase in intensity. This affects how we manage and plan for these hazards that threaten harm to public and natural assets, infrastructure, people and property.
The STCA climate program in collaboration with a specialist coastal consultant, the ten southern councils, PAHSMA, ReCFIT and LGAT has developed a Regional Strategy – Adapting to a Changing Coastline in Tasmania to help communities adapt to a changing coastline.
The State Government has prepared maps identifying the areas at risk of coastal inundation and coastal erosion accounting for the predicted sea level rise and storm conditions in the year 2050 and 2100.
These can be accessed via the links below. If you are interested in whether your property is likely to be affected by by the year 2100 you can type your address in the red search box at the top of the map.
Coastal Inundation Hazard Band – Map
Coastal Erosion Hazard Band – Map
The Tasmanian Planning Scheme – State Planning Provisions requires Tasman Council as the planning authority to assess development applications which are located in a coastal inundation or coastal erosion hazard band against the use standards in the respective code.
The purpose of the codes is to ensure that use or development subject to risk from coastal inundation or erosion is appropriately located and managed so as not to be exposed to an unacceptable level of risk.
Below is a brief summary of the level of risk within the different hazard bands
Coastal Inundation (based on data from Coastal Inundation Mapping for Tasmania – Stage 4, M.Lacey 2016)
Low hazard band – the area is at risk of inundation from a 1 in 100 year storm event in 2100
Medium hazard band – the area is at risk of inundation from a 1 in 100 year storm event in 2050
High hazard band – the area is at risk from a mean high tide in 2050
Investigation Band – this is the area below the 10m contour and within 1000m from the coast in non-LiDAR mapped areas. Future work will determine if this area is at risk from coastal inundation prior to 2100.
Coastal Erosion (based on data from Coastal erosion susceptibility zone mapping for hazard band definition in Tasmania, C. Sharples, H. Walford, L. Roberts 2013)
Low hazard band – the area is at risk from shoreline recession due to sea level rise up to the year 2100 combined with storm bite erosion from a 1 in 100 year storm
Medium hazard band – the area is at risk from shore recession due to sea-level rise up to the year 2050 combined with storm bite erosion from a 1 in 100 year storm
High hazard band – the area is currently at risk from storm bite erosion from a 1 in 100 year storm
Note: there are some exceptions to the erosion hazard band descriptions as some areas modelled to be at risk only by 2100 have been placed in the medium hazard band.
Tasman Council is not responsible for the cost of coastal hazard impacts on private property.
Access to public coastal land will not be available to private property owners for coastal protection works, except where significant public benefit is demonstrated.
Coastal hazards are also considered under the Building Act 2016. There are two Director’s Determinations (see below) that specify requirements for building or demolition works within coastal erosion and coastal inundation hazard bands.
If you are considering building (or demolition) within a coastal hazard area you will need to consider the relevant Determination in addition to planning requirements.
For example, a small (<36m2) prefabricated outbuilding could be determined as Low Risk Work under the Building Act 2016 which typically would not require building approval but, if that outbuilding is located within a coastal hazard band, it will require building approval.
Director’s Determination – Coastal Inundation Hazard Areas
Director’s Determination – Coastal Erosion Hazard Areas