annual report 2013-14 Eagle Point Jetty Gippsland Coastal Board Annual Report 2013-14 1 Contents 1. Chair’s Foreword 2. Description of Region 2.1. Our Region 2.2. Our Role 3. Operation of the Board 3.1. Membership 3.2. Meetings 3.3. Guest Presenters 3.4. Funding 4. Key Projects 4.1. Gippsland State of the Coast Report, 2013 4.2. Gippsland Coastal Board Website 4.3. Gippsland Regional Coastal Plan 4.4. Melbourne University – Incorporating Community Values into Climate Planning – A Guide for Government 5. Implementation of the Victorian Coastal Strategy 2008 5.1. Coastal Management Act Consents 6. Implementation of the CAPs 6.1. Gippsland Boating Coastal Action Plan 2013 6.2. Gippsland Boating Coastal Action Plan Implementation Committee 7. Coastal Relationships and Collaborations 7.1. Submissions 7.2. Stakeholder engagement 7.3. GCB Representation - Working Groups and Stakeholder Initiatives 7.4. Conference and Seminar attendance 7.5. Presentations and Papers 8. Contact Details Appendix Appendix 1: Status of Coastal Management Plans Gippsland Coastal Board Annual Report 2013-14 2 1. Chair’s Forward This Annual Report is prepared for the Victorian Coastal Council (VCC) in accordance with the Coastal Management Act 1995 under s.13. The report provides details on the status of coastal planning in the region and the implementation in the Gippsland region in the preceding year of the Victorian Coastal Strategy, Coastal Actions Plans and approved coastal guidelines. The year 2013-14 has been one of significant achievement for the Gippsland Coastal Board (GCB) which has also seen a change in focus for the Board, as the Minister for Climate Change and the Environment has directed that each Regional Coastal Board will prepare one overarching Regional Coastal Action Plan. A draft plan is due to the Minister by September 2014 and will then be released for public consultation. In developing the Draft Plan the GCB has worked closely with Government Departments and key stakeholders to ensure proposed policies and actions reflect the vision of the community. Other highlights for the year also include: • The release the Gippsland Boating Action Plan 2013 • The establishment of the Gippsland BCAP Implementation Monitoring Committee • Completion of the Melbourne University Report – Incorporating Community Values in Climate Planning – A Guide for Government These achievements have been made possible with the hard work and commitment of my fellow GCB members and Regional Coastal Board staff. The skills and experience of these members, their links to the community and their passion for the coast has enabled the Board to achieve the objectives that are required under the provisions of the Coastal Management Act. The support and assistance provided on a regional basis to the Board enhanced by the jointly signed Memorandum of Understanding between the GCB and the Department of Environment and Primary Industries has furthered this achievement and my thanks goes to Regional Director Mike Timpano for enabling this agreement. Richard Ellis Chair Gippsland Coastal Board Gippsland Coastal Board Annual Report 2013-14 3 2. Description of Region 2.1 Our Region The Gippsland Coastal Region extends approximately 700 kilometres, from the eastern side of Anderson Inlet in the West to the New South Wales border in the east of the state. The coast includes those landward areas with a coastal influence, and seaward to a distance of 3 nautical miles from the coast. The Gippsland Coastal fringe consists of a series of dune-capped sandy barrier backed by lagoons, swamps and bluffs with East Gippsland backed by the iconic Gippsland Lakes. Gippsland’s landscape include three National Parks, five Marine National Parks, three Marine and Coastal Parks and a Marine Sanctuary. The national parks include iconic tourism and recreation destinations such as Wilsons Promontory National Park, Corner Inlet and the Ninety Mile Beach. 2.2 Our Role The Gippsland Coastal Board (GCB) is one of three coastal boards established under the Coastal Management Act 1995. The Boards role is to advocate for coastal issues, facilitate the application of the Victorian Coastal Strategy at a regional level , and provide advice on coastal planning and management issues with its key function to develop Coastal Action Plans for its region. Under the Coastal Management Act 1995 the GCB must report to the Victorian Coastal Council by 30 June in each year on: a) The status of coastal planning in the region; and b) The implementation in its region in the preceding year of the Victorian Coastal Strategy, Coastal Action Plans and approved coastal guidelines. Conran Beach Gippsland Coastal Board Annual Report 2013-14 4 3. Operations of the Board 3.1 Membership Cr. Dick Ellis, past Mayor of the Shire of East Gippsland and long term resident of Lakes Entrance has a diverse background in public administration and business. His background includes senior management positions within the Victoria Police and management roles in the agricultural, tourism and food manufacturing industries. He is a member of several Gippsland wide public boards associated with the Gippsland Coast and Lakes. He is the current Chair of the Gippsland Local Government Network. It is through this active engagement with the region that his interest in the governance of the Gippsland coast has grown. Dick maintains a long engagement with community organisations and is a past President of his local Rotary Club. Paul is a Civil Engineer and has recently left Local Government after 34 years. Most recently he was the Environment Manager with Bass Coast Shire responsible for managing 42 kilometres of coastal reserve and coastal recreational facilities and providing strategic advice and preparing policy on all environmental matters. He currently has a small consulting business focussing on managing reserves and small projects. Over the years he has been on various community and recreation club committees and is currently a member of the Phillip Island Nature Park Community Advisory Committee and the Catchment Ecosystem Advisory Committee for the West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority. Paul who lives in San Remo is married with three grown up children and is an active user of the coast as a surfer, recreational fisherman, beach walker and camper. His focus continues to be on ensuring that the environmental, social, health and economic benefits of the marine and coastal reserves are sustainable and will be there for our future generations. Rod Thomas has been a Coastal Engineer for over 40 years. Educated At Melbourne University and Delft University of Technology, Netherlands, he spent 20 years in applied coastal research with Ports and Harbors at the Marine Models Laboratory working in Victoria as well as interstate and overseas in Indonesia. He then spent 9 years as the Gippsland Regional Manager for the Port of Melbourne Authority, setting up Gippsland Ports and managing the east coast Associated Ports. For the past 15 years he has operated Tibar Services, a Coastal Engineering and Port Management Consultancy and contracting in maritime construction, building various coastal facilities around Victoria. Gippsland Coastal Board Annual Report 2013-14 5 Ian Needham is the Principal of Needham PR, a media and marketing business that operates primarily across Gippsland. A journalist by profession, Ian established Needham PR in 1994 after nearly two decades working in mainstream media. This includes stints at the Latrobe Valley Express and Traralgon Journal as well as seven years with Southern Cross Television where Ian was the State Director of News. Since establishing Needham PR, Ian has worked closely with numerous industry sectors, including health, waste management, education and training at secondary and tertiary levels, local government, business and water management, developing and implementing communications and marketing activities. Ian has also been on several community and not for profit boards, including Lifeline Gippsland, Old Gippstown, the Gippsland Area Consultative Committee and Latrobe Regional Hospital. Peter Jennings is the Executive Officer of the Gippsland Rural Financial Counselling Service and runs a sheep grazing property at Giffard. He is a former science and maths teacher, Outward Bound instructor, local government councillor and commissioner. He has governance experience from having served on boards of educational and environmental organisations and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He has long been a member of the local landcare group and CFA brigade and in 2001 was awarded a Centenary Medal for his service to the community. His interests are natural conservation, bushwalking, fishing, boating and rugby. Mr (Michael) Des Sinnott OAM is a former secondary teacher for over 30 years delivering agriculture, science, maths outdoor and environmental education. He also operated a beef cattle farm in Boisdale since the 1970's He is passionate about the outdoors especially bushwalking, cross country skiing and offshore fishing, and has spent a lot of time on the Gippsland coast and offshore waters both above and below the water, fishing, hiking and scuba diving. Des was a board member for the WGCMA for some 8 years, has been a member of the Gippsland Coastal board for 3 years, and has been recently appointed to the Ministerial Advisory Committee for the Gippsland Lakes. He is also President of Watermark, a community based organisation, which is presently involved as a partner in a major project