Importantly, Council already has a number of Foreshore Management Plans guiding management of our coastal areas. However, with new legislation and a significant amount of work completed, many of these plans are now outdated. Guided by community values, experiences, and State legislation, the new CMMP will provide an update to these plans and improve consistency across the Shire. In developing the CMMP, and in action delivery, Council will ensure that partners including Traditional Owners, Parks Victoria and Coastal Management Authorities have shared direction to work together to achieve the best outcomes for our marine and coastal environment.

The draft CMMP

Since the project’s launch last year, we have been building our understanding of what our communities love about the coast, what they would change, and their ideas for the future. We have now developed a draft CMMP, available for public comment. Community, rightsholder and stakeholder input has laid the foundation for the new Plan and has informed the Plan’s management approach and priority actions, both across the Shire and for each of the East Gippsland coastal communities.

The draft Plan includes:

• A shire-wide vision shaped by community and stakeholder reflections, expectations and aspirations for East Gippsland’s coastal, lake and marine spaces.
• An overview of the values, challenges and opportunities for managing our coastal and marine areas, both Shire-wide and within our 10 East Gippsland coastal communities, closely informed by community, rightsholder and stakeholder engagement.
• Objectives for the CMMP that align with State legislation.
• Priority actions over the next 5-10 years, both shire-wide and for each of our ten communities.
• A pathway to implement and track actions.

Draft CMMP – how can I get involved?

We want to make sure the draft Plan reflects the interests of the community. This includes all those who use, care for, and rely upon our coastal and marine areas – our residents, businesses, visitors, workforce, rightsholders and other stakeholders – we want to hear from you!

How to read the Draft CMMP

The Draft CMMP is an extensive document covering both Shire-wide and community-specific aspects. The document is set out in sections. We recommend reading the introduction and Shire-wide sections (Sections 1-3) first, then reading the section relevant to your community.