Waterways are a huge part of the Central Coast community’s lifestyle. They underpin our identity, support our local economy, provide recreational and social opportunities for locals and visitors and support our mental and physical wellbeing. They provide the water we drink and the air we breathe, and our health is as dependant on them as theirs is on us. In addition to the values and benefits Central Coast Waterways offer us, they are important in their own right and have significant ecological and intrinsic value which should be managed both now, and into the future.

In accordance with the NSW Coastal Management Framework, Central Coast Council is required to develop Coastal Management Programs (CMPs) for our part of the NSW Coast (excluding National Parks estate). Acknowledging the size and diversity of the coastal zone of the Central Coast, Council are involved in the development of 5 CMPs:

• Tuggerah Lakes
• The Open Coast
• Coastal Lagoons
• Hawkesbury-Nepean River including Brisbane Water (multi-council collaboration)
• Lake Macquarie (collaboration with Lake Macquarie City Council)

These new management programs will be valid for 10 years and replace various previous management plans which are now out of date. The process of re-doing these programs every 10 years is not only a NSW State Government requirement, but something we believe is important to ensure our projects reflect the latest advances in technology and ecology, and account for changes in the pressures and desires of our community.

Community Engagement so far:

Over the years we’ve heard you via your participation in the development of existing Coastal Zone Management Plans, the feedback you submit on a weekly basis via our Customer Service Centres, emails etc and the Stage 1 waterways survey.

• View the Our Coast, Our Waterways survey results here.

The next stages of consultation are being undertaken specific to each of the 5 CMPs. Please use the tabs at the top of this page to navigate to each for further details.

Our waterways need us, and we must develop these plans - we don’t want to exclude your important views so let us know what matters to you.