Coastal Management Program Port Macquarie-Hastings | Oxley Beach 

Coastal Management Program: Why the CMP Matters for Oxley Beach and Port Macquarie-Hastings 

Why the Coastal Management Program Matters

Port Macquarie-Hastings is a coastal community whose beaches, estuaries, headlands and waterways are central to the region's environment, economy, culture and quality of life.

But coastlines are dynamic.

Erosion, storms, waves, tides, flooding, sand movement and sea-level rise can change coastal environments and affect public infrastructure over time.

That is why Port Macquarie-Hastings Council is developing a Coastal Management Program (CMP)—a long-term framework intended to identify coastal risks, understand vulnerabilities and guide how the region's coastline should be managed into the future.

For Oxley Beach, the CMP is particularly important.

The proposed Oxley Beach Ocean Pool involves permanent infrastructure in a coastal environment where hazards and future vulnerability are already being assessed through Council's coastal management work.

Understanding the CMP therefore provides important context for any discussion about the future of Oxley Beach.

What Is a Coastal Management Program?

A Coastal Management Program is a strategic planning framework used to manage coastal environments over the long term.

The NSW Government introduced a new coastal management framework in 2016, with the aim of managing the coastal environment in an ecologically sustainable way while considering the social, cultural and economic wellbeing of communities.

The Port Macquarie-Hastings CMP follows a five-stage process:

1. Identify the scope of the CMP

2. Determine risks, vulnerabilities and opportunities

3. Identify and evaluate management options

4. Prepare, exhibit, finalise, certify and adopt the CMP

5. Implement, monitor, evaluate and report.

This process is important because it moves coastal management away from reacting to individual problems and towards long-term, evidence-based planning.

Where Is the Port Macquarie-Hastings CMP Up To?

According to Port Macquarie-Hastings Council, Stage 1 was completed in May 2021, establishing the scope of the program, identifying stakeholders and helping establish governance and community engagement arrangements.

Stage 2 was completed in June 2026.

Council describes Stage 2 as providing a detailed understanding of coastal processes, hazards and risks across the local government area and forming the technical foundation for developing practical, evidence-based management actions.

Stage 3 was completed in June 2026

The remaining stages are now progressing.

Council states that:

• Stage 3: 2025–2026

• Stage 4: 2026–2027

• Stage 5: 2027

• Expected completion: 2027.

Council has also advised that community consultation opportunities will occur during Stage 3 to gather feedback on potential coastal management actions.

This means the CMP is not simply a historical study. It is an active planning process that will help shape how the Port Macquarie-Hastings coastline is managed in the years ahead.

Four Coastal Areas Are Being Considered

The Port Macquarie-Hastings CMP is being divided into four geographic areas so that localised coastal issues can be considered in greater detail.

These areas are:

• Lake Cathie / Bonny Hills

• Hastings River Estuary

• Camden Haven River Estuary

• Open Coastline.

Oxley Beach forms part of the region's open coastline.

This is significant because open-coast environments face different coastal processes and risks from estuaries and inland waterways.

The CMP's geographic approach is intended to ensure that site-specific conditions and on-ground issues are properly considered.

Stage 2: Building the Technical Evidence Base

Stage 2 is particularly relevant to Oxley Beach because it has produced a series of technical studies examining coastal processes, hazards, vulnerabilities, recreation and environmental conditions.

One of the most significant is the Coastal Hazard Assessment Study.

Council describes this study as a data-driven assessment of coastal processes and hazards across the Port Macquarie-Hastings coastline.

It examines key drivers of coastal change, including:

• sand transport

• storms

• sea-level rise

• erosion

• inundation

• shoreline recession.

The study also maps current and future hazard extents and considers potential impacts on public and private assets through to 2120.

This long-term planning horizon is particularly important when considering permanent public infrastructure.

Coastal Vulnerability and the 2120 Planning Horizon

The CMP's Coastal Vulnerability Area Mapping uses a planning horizon extending to 2120.

According to Council, the mapping incorporates:

• erosion and shoreline recession

• coastal inundation

• tidal inundation

• sea-level rise projections

• probabilistic modelling.

The technical work is intended to support risk-informed coastal planning and management decisions.

Why does this matter?

Because public infrastructure can remain in place for many decades.

A structure constructed today could still be operating many years into the future.

Planning therefore needs to consider not only what the coastline looks like today, but how coastal hazards could affect the site over the expected life of the infrastructure.

What Does the CMP Say About Coastal Change?

Council's Coastal Hazard Assessment identifies several key drivers of coastal change.

These include sand transport, storms and sea-level rise.

The assessment identifies a net long-term loss of sand and increasing risks associated with erosion, inundation and shoreline recession. It also indicates that an increasing number of public and private assets could be affected by coastal hazards by 2120.

This does not mean that every coastal location will experience the same level of risk.

Coastal hazards vary considerably from one location to another.

But it does demonstrate why long-term coastal planning is necessary.

Why This Matters for Oxley Beach

Oxley Beach is a naturally dynamic open-coast environment.

Its shoreline is influenced by waves, storms, tides, currents and the movement of sand.

These processes are part of the natural functioning of the coastline.

They also create challenges for permanent infrastructure.

The proposed Oxley Beach Ocean Pool would be a long-term engineered asset located directly within this coastal environment.

That means the proposal needs to be considered alongside the best available information about:

• coastal erosion

• shoreline recession

• inundation

• storm impacts

• wave conditions

• sea-level rise

• long-term coastal vulnerability

• infrastructure resilience.

The CMP provides an important evidence base for understanding these issues.

The CMP Is About More Than Coastal Hazards

It is important not to think of the Coastal Management Program as simply an erosion study.

Council's Stage 2 work covers a much broader range of coastal management issues.

It includes assessments of:

• coastal hazards

• coastal vulnerability

• estuary bank erosion

• riparian condition

• recreational needs

• water quality

• estuary processes

• sediment transport

• flooding

• environmental resilience

• future management options.

This broader approach recognises that coastal management involves balancing environmental, social and economic considerations.

Coastal Recreation Is Also Part of the CMP

One of the Stage 2 studies is the Coastal Recreational User Needs Analysis.

Council says this assessment examined coastal recreation across the Port Macquarie-Hastings local government area, including existing infrastructure, patterns of use and future recreational needs.

The study identifies demand for accessible, connected and diverse recreational opportunities, while also recognising issues including user conflicts and environmental pressures.

This is highly relevant to the discussion about an ocean pool.

Protect Oxley Beach supports high-quality public recreation.

The question is not whether the community should invest in recreation.

It is where and how that investment should occur.

A strategic coastal recreation assessment provides an opportunity to consider recreational needs across the entire local government area rather than assessing individual facilities in isolation.

The Importance of Whole-of-Coast Planning

A key benefit of a Coastal Management Program is that it considers the coastline as a connected system.

Decisions at one location can sometimes affect surrounding beaches, waterways, habitats and infrastructure.

Similarly, investment in one location needs to be considered against competing needs elsewhere in the region.

This creates an opportunity to ask broader strategic questions:

Where are new recreational facilities most needed?

Which locations are most resilient to future coastal hazards?

Where can infrastructure be provided with the least environmental impact?

Which existing facilities require investment and renewal?

How should limited public funds be prioritised?

These are the types of questions that can help guide responsible long-term coastal planning.

Why Timing Matters for Oxley Beach

The CMP is being developed at the same time that significant decisions are being considered about the future of Oxley Beach.

That timing is important.

The Council's coastal studies are specifically intended to improve understanding of coastal risks and provide an evidence base for future management decisions.

The CMP's Stage 2 technical work is now complete, while Stages 3 and 4 are progressing and the final program is expected in 2027.

This raises a reasonable planning question:

How should major permanent infrastructure decisions interact with a coastal management program that is still being finalised?

For Protect Oxley Beach, the answer is that the latest available coastal evidence should be carefully considered before decisions are made about permanent infrastructure on the open coastline.

Evidence-Based Coastal Planning

The purpose of the CMP is to improve decision-making by providing better information about coastal processes, hazards and vulnerabilities.

Council's Stage 2 work includes technical studies and modelling designed to support evidence-based management decisions.

A review of the coastal erosion hazard modelling found the CMP Stage 2 assessment to be fit for purpose and recommended that the CMP Stage 2 dataset be used as the authoritative basis for local coastal management and planning decisions.

This is important because coastal planning should be based on the best available local evidence.

For Oxley Beach, that means considering the latest coastal hazard and vulnerability information alongside environmental, cultural, engineering, planning and financial considerations.

What Happens Next?

With Stage 2 now complete, Council says it has engaged Rhelm to assist with the remaining stages of the CMP.

Community consultation opportunities are expected during Stage 3, allowing the community to provide feedback on potential coastal management actions before the CMP is finalised.

The remaining process includes:

Stage 3 — Identify and Evaluate Options

Potential coastal management actions are considered and assessed.

Stage 4 — Prepare and Finalise the CMP

The program is prepared, exhibited, finalised, certified and adopted.

Stage 5 — Implement and Monitor

The adopted CMP is implemented, monitored, evaluated and reported on.

Council currently expects the CMP to be completed in 2027.

Why Community Participation Matters

Coastal management decisions affect everyone who uses and values the coastline.

That includes:

• residents

• ratepayers

• Traditional Owners

• families

• surfers

• swimmers

• fishers

• walkers

• people with disability

• businesses

• visitors

• environmental groups

• recreational users.

The CMP process provides an opportunity for these different perspectives to contribute to decisions about the future of the coastline.

Council has specifically stated that community consultation will form part of Stage 3.

For Protect Oxley Beach, meaningful community participation is essential to ensuring that decisions about the future of the coastline reflect both technical evidence and the values of the people who use and care for these places.

The CMP and the Proposed Oxley Beach Ocean Pool

The proposed Ocean Pool should be considered within this broader coastal planning context.

The issue is not simply whether an ocean pool could provide recreational benefits.

It is whether Oxley Beach is the most appropriate location for permanent infrastructure when the latest coastal hazard information, future vulnerability, environmental values, cultural considerations, engineering requirements and long-term public costs are taken into account.

The CMP provides important information for answering that question.

It can help decision-makers understand:

• current coastal hazards

• future coastal vulnerability

• long-term shoreline changes

• infrastructure risks

• recreational needs

• environmental priorities

• potential management responses.

These considerations should form part of any responsible assessment of the proposed development.

Planning for a Coastline That Will Change

The coastline we see today will not necessarily be the coastline of tomorrow.

That is one of the fundamental realities behind coastal management.

Planning for 2027, 2050, 2100 and beyond requires decision-makers to consider how natural systems may respond to changing conditions.

The Port Macquarie-Hastings CMP's 2120 planning horizon demonstrates the importance of thinking beyond the immediate future.

For major public infrastructure, this long-term perspective is essential.

A decision made today can create environmental, financial and asset-management obligations for future generations.

Protecting Coastal Values While Meeting Community Needs

Port Macquarie-Hastings needs high-quality recreational infrastructure.

It also needs resilient coastal planning.

These objectives do not have to conflict.

The challenge is finding locations and solutions that provide meaningful community benefits while respecting:

• natural coastal processes

• environmental values

• cultural heritage

• climate resilience

• long-term financial sustainability

• accessibility

• community needs.

Protect Oxley Beach believes this is why the Coastal Management Program is so important.

It provides an opportunity to look at the coastline strategically and consider where investment can deliver the greatest long-term public benefit without unnecessarily compromising significant natural and cultural places.

What the CMP Means for the Future of Oxley Beach

Oxley Beach is part of a much larger coastal system.

Its future cannot be considered in isolation from the wider Port Macquarie-Hastings coastline.

The Coastal Management Program is being developed to understand that system, identify risks and establish long-term management strategies.

With Stage 2 now complete, the region has a substantially stronger technical evidence base for understanding coastal hazards, vulnerability and recreational needs.

For Protect Oxley Beach, this evidence should be central to any decision about the proposed Ocean Pool.

The community deserves recreation facilities that are accessible, resilient and financially responsible.

It also deserves to know that major public investment decisions are being made using the best available evidence and with proper consideration of the coastline's long-term future.

Protecting the coast is not about stopping progress. It is about making sure progress is sustainable.

How You Can Learn More

Port Macquarie-Hastings Council provides information about the Coastal Management Program, including the Stage 2 technical studies, project timeline and opportunities for community engagement.

Port Macquarie-Hastings Council — Coastal Management Program

For additional material collected by Protect Oxley Beach, see the Coastal Management Plan (CMP) section of our Public Documentation page:

Protect Oxley Beach — Public Documentation

Note: the supplied Public Documentation link currently appears to require Google account access, so readers may need the appropriate permissions to view it.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Port Macquarie-Hastings Coastal Management Program

What is the Port Macquarie-Hastings Coastal Management Program?

• The CMP is a long-term strategic framework for understanding and managing coastal risks, environmental values, community needs and future coastal change across the Port Macquarie-Hastings local government area.

When will the Port Macquarie-Hastings CMP be completed?

• Council currently expects the Coastal Management Program to be completed in 2027.

Has the CMP Stage 2 been completed?

• Yes. Council states that Stage 2 was completed in June 2026.

What does Stage 2 of the CMP cover?

• Stage 2 provides technical information about coastal processes, hazards and risks. It includes studies covering coastal hazards, coastal vulnerability, estuaries, recreation and other coastal management issues.

Is Oxley Beach included in the CMP?

• Yes. Oxley Beach forms part of the region's open coastline, one of the four geographic areas being considered within the CMP.

Does the CMP consider future climate risks?

• Yes. The coastal vulnerability mapping uses a planning horizon to 2120 and incorporates factors including erosion, shoreline recession, inundation, tidal inundation and sea-level rise projections.

Why is the CMP relevant to the proposed Oxley Beach Ocean Pool?

• The CMP provides important technical information about coastal hazards, vulnerability and future coastal conditions. This information is relevant when considering permanent infrastructure proposed within the coastal environment.

Will the community have a say?

• Council states that community consultation opportunities will be provided during Stage 3 to gather feedback on potential coastal management actions.