NSW Coastal Conference 2026
The first week in November is a ritual for several events: a horse race of note in Melbourne and every 2 years an election in the USA. For those who are part of the NSW coastal family it is a gathering outside of Sydney for the annual coastal conference. This was our 33rd hosted by Shellharbour City Council. There were 240 in attendance.
Shellharbour is one of the smaller coastal councils sharing Lake Illawarra with Wollongong Council. This is the first time we have met at Shellharbour and the timing was perfect. In recent years the area has experienced rapid urban growth and the development of the state’s first marina/boat harbour directly open to the sea at Shell Cove—more on that later. I have to admit that I have rarely visited the area as the highway south bypasses most of the area. So to come here with colleagues and learn more about the changes and potential was quite exciting.
As has become a practice, the day before the conference the department (DCCEEW) puts on a workshop for practitioners involved in coastal management especially those from local government. This year the focus was on estuaries. I could not resist the temptation to join in and learn more about one of the most pressing issues in NSW: the link between catchment and coastal management. In brief, there are constraints on councils in developing their Coastal Management Programs (CMPs) to include actions from those parts of catchments that fall outside the legally defined coastal zone. At some point I will return to this issue in more depth, but suffice it to say that this was a constructive meeting albeit one where certain frustrations still remain.
We all experienced a magnificent Welcome to Country from Aunty Jodi Edwards. Her ability to capture the intimacy of connections to country is incredible. It was a delight to have a welcome from Shellharbour City Council by a surfing Mayor, Chris Homer. He is passionate about protecting coastal values for future generations using terms like “surf economics” and “coastal warriors”. Ingrid Emery on behalf of the major sponsor DCCEEW, brought us up to date on undertakings by the NSW Government following the 2025 coastal audit, emphasising that in a world of competing expectations there remain many challenges. At a later session, Phil Haines spoke of the ongoing work of the NSW Coastal Council including the voluntary audit of the Lake Illawarra CMP. I think this is a marvelous initiative and hope other councils will also opt for such an audit.
At this conference the keynote speakers focused on local topics that have broad implication. Sarah Hamylton took us across to the wonders of the Five Islands Nature Reserve off Port Kembla. Her ability to use various tools to create maps that tell stories of change of both flora and fauna was amazing. Brian Jones unraveled the Holocene sediment history of Lake Illawarra before revealing how the Lake has endured a history of contaminants from different industrial and urban sources. On the last day, Greg Britton from Haskoning provided an inspirational account of design and construction challenges in the development of the Shell Cove Boat Harbour. This was a greenfield development of long gestation going back to the 1980s. Its history as explained by Greg is one of many ups and downs. I witnessed its scale during the excavation stage of a huge pit below sea level that encountered acid sulfate soils. Construction of the breakwaters also encountered significant design issues with impacts on adjoining beaches. I paid special tribute to Greg and his team in my conference wrap-up.
The conference organising committee gave us an excellent variety of talks. Our conference organiser, East Coast Conferences, will at some stage make available these presentations. Each year I am impressed with the range of topics some of which are quite technical, others provide reflections on management experience, and there are those that offer community views. I congratulate the Conference Organising Committee led by Leslie Reid of Shellharbour City Council. It is very pleasing to see familiar faces as sponsors. Their continued engagement and support along with those from several government agencies is vital.
Receptions, dinner and field trips are an integral part of NSW coastal conferences. This year was no exception with opportunities to visit different part of this LGA , Lake Illawarra and the Killalea State Park. The dinner was held in a unique venue—a converted hangar at the aircraft museum at Albion Park. To have outdoor drinks beneath the wing of a “retired” Qantas 747 was not something we normally experience! I have the privilege each year to present the awards at the dinner in various categories. This year James Carley received the Ruth Readford Lifetime Achievement Award.
In my wrap-up I made the point that while I see NSW coastal management maturing and becoming more strategic there are still big challenges. We now have 28 certified CMPs but very little has been done to achieve any consistency with coastal vulnerability mapping. A revised coastal manual is on its way but there lingers issues about how local councils can best collaborate with state agencies especially in estuaries where multiple councils are involved. There are also problems as to how best to assess and maintain coastal protection works, including opportunities for beach sand nourishment.
It is fantastic that so many of us seek to meet each year and learn from each other. Amy and her team from East Coast Conferences do a magnificent job in bringing us together working with the host council. And in 2027 it will be Mid Coast Council at Forster.
Bruce Thom
Words by Prof Bruce Thom. Please respect the author’s thoughts and reference appropriately: (c) ACS, 2026. For correspondence about this blog post please email admin@australiancoastalsociety.org.au
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