Four Great Southern projects get State Government funding for plans to help deal with changing coastline

The State Government has announced funding for four coastal projects in the Great Southern with erosion, re-planting, marine education and hazard assessment among the initiatives receiving CoastWA grants.

The Government announced the recipients of the 2026-27 round of CoastWA grants on Monday, with projects across the region receiving a total of $258,975.

The Shire of Jerramungup received the biggest cut with $200,000 to develop a coastal hazard risk management and adaption plan for Bremer Bay.

The plan will also include the Wellstead Estuary, Fisheries Beach and Little Boat Harbour Beach, identifying coastal hazards, vulnerable assets and community values to put a management plan in action.

The shire will develop both a short-term and long-term adaptation plan, which will guide future plans for the coastal land.

The City of Albany received $40,000 to undertake an initial coastal hazard assessment for Oyster Harbour, the first stage of a similar long-term management plan.

The city’s application stated the coastal area was already prone to periodic flooding, mostly caused by storm surge events, with impacts to properties becoming “increasingly evident”.

The area to be assessed includes both existing developed areas and land earmarked for future development.

Albany Senior High School received $11,247 to continue its long-running marine science project that gets high school biology students involved with science and conservation efforts to protect their coastal and marine environments.

The project is delivered in conjunction with Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Department of Primary Industry and Regional Development, Edith Cowan University, Murdoch University and the Oyster Harbour Catchment Group, and the funding will be split between the contributing groups.

Next year’s project is set to focus on the breeding cycles of fish in the Southern Ocean and how fluctuations in invertebrate and fish populations align with the Noongar seasons.

The Shire of Denmark and environmental groups Friends of Boat Harbour Beach and the Wilson Inlet Catchment Committee will share in $7728 to build on last year’s CoastWA grant to improve the environment around Boat Harbour Beach.

In the coming year, the groups will target coastal erosion and four-wheel-drive tracks in the area, getting their hands dirty re-planting native seedlings and continuing with regular beach and track cleanups.

Across WA, more than $4 million in grants was awarded to 35 coastal projects, with the biggest winner being the City of Mandurah which received $1.5m for coastal protection works at Doddi’s Beach.

Planning and Lands Minister John Carey said the grants were designed to help local governments and communities build long-term solutions to problems caused by their changing coastlines.

“Since 2021, the State Labor Government has awarded more than $22 million worth of CoastWA grants, building the knowledge and capability needed to manage Western Australia’s coastline into the future,” he said.

“Coastal management is led by local governments, with the State Government providing advice and support.

“These grants are supporting local governments and communities to plan for and respond to coastal change with practical, long-term solutions.”