Broome Townsite Coastal Hazard Risk Management and Adaptation Plan

New-Streeters-Jetty.jpg

The Shire of Broome adopted the Coastal Hazard Risk Management and Adaptation Plan (CHRMAP) for Broome townsite on 7 September 2017. The purpose of the CHRMAP is to systematically identify coastal inundation and erosion hazards across the  townsite, and put in place controls to manage and mitigate the risk in association with the community and stakeholders.

The first step of this process was to prepare a Coastal Vulnerability Study (CVS) to understand potential future threats from coastal inundation, erosion, stormwater flooding and climate change. The Broome CVS was received by Council in June 2016 and identified that portions of the Broome townsite are at risk of coastal hazards, namely inundation and erosion, within a 100 year planning timeframe.

Since then, the Shire has been developing a draft CHRMAP based on the West Australian Planning Commission’s Coastal Hazard Risk Management and Adaptation Planning Guidelines. The Guidelines provide a risk management approach to dealing with the forecasted impacts of coastal hazards in the future.

The development of the CHRMAP has been informed by two community information forums which were held in July 2016 and two community workshops held in August 2016. The information forums introduced participants to the CHRMAP process and the work that has been undertaken as part of the CVS. The workshops provided participants the opportunity to identify and prioritise assets in the coastal zone, assess the consequence of these assets being affected by coastal hazards, and consider a variety of adaptation options for key areas in Broome, including Chinatown, Cable Beach and Town Beach.

A copy of the CHRMAP can be downloaded below.