A $295,000 joint funding commitment between Newcastle City Council and the state government will assist in the development of a viable and long-term solution for Stockton’s erosion woes.
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The funding will be used to develop a Coastal Management Program for Newcastle’s entire coastline as part of the Newcastle Coastal Zone Management Plan, which was certified by the Office of Environment and Heritage last week.
“Today’s announcement continues council’s recent approach to addressing erosion at Stockton through a collaborative working partnership with the NSW Government,” Newcastle City Council chief executive Jeremy Bath said.
“For the first time in many years genuine progress is occurring on a long-term solution. This is largely because for council and the NSW Government agencies are regularly meeting and sharing their individual expertise.”
The recently certified coastal zone management plan limited the council’s ability to secure funding from the State Government to short and medium-term activities for Stockton.
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Today's funding commitment will provide the necessary funding to develop a management plan that includes long-term strategies to combat coastal erosion at Stockton.
Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Scot MacDonald said the funding agreement was further evidence of real progress being made in finding a solution to the erosion of Stockton Beach.
“For decades the people of Stockton have watched their beach slowly disappear. It’s only now, with the State Government and Newcastle City Council engaged in a genuine partnership, that progress is being made,” MacDonald said.
“I hope the community of Stockton can take comfort in the knowledge that real progress is finally occurring.”
Deputy Lord Mayor Declan Clausen said the Coastal Management Plan would include a risk-management approach, stakeholder engagement process and cost-benefit analysis assessment of management options.
"The community, and specifically the Stockton Community Liaison Group, will continue to play a crucial role in ensuring the local community are consulted and updated on work to develop a long-term solution," Councillor Clausen said.
"The provision of $295,000 from the council and the State Government ensures work continues so that we can definitely resolve how best to deliver a long-term solution to the erosion occurring at Stockton. This work will also address the critical matter of the associated cost. This work will be achieved via an evidence-based approach with outcomes that all parties can support the findings of."
I understand that this morning that the State Government announced that they were committing $147,500 to develop a Coastal Management Program for the Newcastle coastline. With Newcastle City Council committing the other $147, 500.
As you are aware, the Stockton Beach coastline has been an issue we have been working on for the past two years.
Newcastle MP Tim Crakanthorp said he was pleased the State Government had adopted a Labor Party policy.
“Only just last week, Labor committed $270 000 for this plan. Scot MacDonald criticised this. Yet today his government short changes the community in the process.
“I asked the Government to match that in Parliament at the debate.
“By jointly funding a lesser portion of the money needed shows that this Government is not serious about fixing the issue at Stockton.”