Coastal Hazards Adaptation Strategy

As our climate changes, Brisbane City Council wants to ensure our coastal communities remain resilient and safe, confident and ready for coastal hazards such as cyclones, coastal erosion, storm-tides, and sea-level rise.

Council is developing a Coastal Hazard Adaptation Strategy to assess the risk from projected effects of sea-level rise over the medium to long term, and propose adaption measures to mitigate impacts.

Council received funding support through the QCoast2100 program, a partnership between the Queensland Government and the Local Government Association Queensland for research into the development and implementation of the strategy.

Together with our partners, the Coastal Hazard Adaptation Strategy will identify opportunities that will be considered alongside Council's other competing priorities. This will happen through Council's budget process, which considers and prioritises Council's work in order to maximise value for the community.

Summary 

This table provides summary information about the Coastal Hazards Adaption Strategy including areas, suburbs, project outcomes and latest update.
Areas Brisbane's coastal communities
Suburbs Bald Hills, Brighton, Sandgate, Shorncliffe, Nudgee Beach, Pinkenba, Port of Brisbane, Lota, Lytton, Murarrie, Wynnum, Manly, Banyo, Boondall, Deagon, Northgate, Hendra, Hemmant, Morningside, Tingalpa, Moreton Island, St Helena Island, Mud Island and Green Island
Project outcomes To develop a Coastal Hazard Adaption Strategy.
Latest update Phase 4-6 completed. Community engagement summary report released.

Coastal hazards

Coastal hazards are weather-related events, such as storm tides and other extreme weather events that result in inundation and erosion in our coastal areas.

Coastal hazards include coastal erosion, storm tide inundation and sea-level rise inundation.

Coastal erosion

Coastal erosion includes shoreline recession due to sea erosion causing a permanent loss of land.

Storm tide inundation

Storm tide inundation is a temporary inundation of land by abnormally high ocean levels. Storm tide is the total water level obtained by adding the storm surge and wave set-up to the height of the astronomical tide.

Sea-level rise inundation

Sea-level rise inundation includes periodic or permanent tidal inundation of land due to a rise in the mean sea level. It is noted that sea-level rise has the potential to exacerbate existing coastal erosion and storm-tide inundation issues

Project benefits

The development of a Coastal Hazard Adaptation Strategy will help Council to:

  • identify the likelihood and consequence of coastal hazards having an adverse impact on people and property
  • reduce future exposure to the risks of coastal flooding, storm tides and erosion
  • reduce or avoid significant financial costs of future coastal hazard impacts
  • plan for the long-term protection of coastal infrastructure, built environment and services within at-risk areas.

Project areas

The development of a coastal hazard adaptation strategy will cover 173 km of Brisbane’s coastline and foreshore areas, including 55.1 km of mainland coastline and 117.96 km of island coastline.

The coastal hazard adaptation strategy will focus on Brisbane’s Bayside suburbs including:

  • Brighton
  • Sandgate
  • Nudgee Beach
  • Lota
  • Wynnum
  • Manly.

The strategy will also include commercial and industrial hubs such as:

  • the Brisbane International Airport
  • Port of Brisbane
  • the Brisbane Central Business District.

Bay islands including Moreton Island will also be included in the strategy.

Project phases

To date, six stages have been completed between May 2019 and October 2020.

This table shows the project phases of the Coastal Hazards Adaption Strategy including Phases 1-6.
Phase Action Status
1 Plan for life-of-project stakeholder communication and engagement Completed
2

Scope coastal hazard issues for the area of interest

 Completed
3 Identify areas exposed to current and future coastal hazards Completed
4 Identify key assets potentially impacted Completed
5

Risk assessment of key assets in coastal hazard areas

 Completed
6

Identify potential adaptation options

 Completed

Fact sheets

Download our coastal hazard factsheets:

Community engagement

Council undertook community consultation between 24 July and 28 September 2020 to gather local knowledge about areas in Brisbane affected by coastal hazards. The feedback assisted Council to understand the different types of coastal hazards, specific locations, and suggested solutions to mitigate or adapt to coastal hazards.

Download a copy of the:

More information

If you would like to ask questions or find out more about the project, you can:

Last updated: 22 July 2021