The Coastal Adaptation Plan will enable place-based, best practice and long-term coastal hazard risk management and adaptation responses to be identified and implemented to coastal public land on the northern Bellarine Peninsula.

Coastlines are dynamic by nature, continually changing due to the effects of natural coastal processes such as tides, winds and waves. These natural events create coastal hazards, such as erosion and flooding or inundation of low-lying areas.

Under a changing climate, more frequent storm events, high tides, sea level rise and changes to wind patterns are predicted to increase the impact and severity of coastal processes along our coastline. These changes may impact coastal values and how we use the coast.

We are developing a Coastal Adaptation Plan (CAP) for the northern Bellarine coast in partnership with locals, visitors, community groups and key stakeholders to ensure we continue to adapt to coastal hazards for both short and long-term predicted future impacts. The CAP will guide management and community decisions to proactively address coastal hazards and build resilience against anticipated future impacts.

Your insights and feedback will help shape future decision-making and plans for coastal hazard management and resilience.

We are taking a partnership approach to plan for and manage coastal hazards along our coastline, now and into the future.

Our approach is following the direction of the Marine and Coastal Policy 2020 and Victoria’s Resilient Coast – Adapting for 2100+ framework and guidelines.

The framework recognises that alongside comprehensive and robust technical and strategic work, the planning and management of coastal hazards is a shared responsibility of many rightsholders and stakeholders. This includes Traditional Owners, land managers, state agencies, local government, land and asset owners, and the broader community.

Currently we are at Stages 2, 3 and 4 of the planning process and will be working to progress through the subsequent stages, up to Stage 5.

The Victorian marine and coastal environment supports a diversity of values and uses. Our Coastal Adaptation Plan (CAP) will consider the protection of these values and uses under different sea level rise and storm tide scenarios.

This includes:

  • All 17 km of coastal Crown land under the management of Bellarine Bayside.
  • Harvey Park in St Leonards: coastal Crown land managed by the City of Greater Geelong.
  • Recognition of cultural values to support Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation assertions for Country.
  • The shared community aspirations for Victoria’s marine and coastal environment, as articulated in the Victorian Marine and Coastal Policy 2020 vision.
  • Community aspirations around use and values along our coast.

The scope of the CAP does not include:

  • Coastal hazard impacts on private land or private infrastructure.

We are developing the CAP in partnership with key stakeholders and agencies, including:

  • Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation.
  • The Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA).
  • The City of Greater Geelong.
  • Parks Victoria.

Have Your Say

Throughout the project we are engaging with the community.

The first phase of community engagement ran from 23 November 2024 to 17 January 2025, inviting people to tell us about their values, concerns and ideas along the coast through the Planning Our Future Coast project.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to provide feedback!

What We Heard summary

We undertook the first round of community engagement occurred between 23 November 2024 - 17 January 2025.

The Coastal Adaptation Plan is supported by the Victorian Government through Victoria’s Resilient Coast Grants program.