Kingston's Coastal and Marine Management Plan

**This consultation is now closed and the Plan is now final. Please see below for details**

Kingston’s coastline is an iconic part of Port Phillip Bay. Combining continuous sandy beaches, vegetated dune systems, access to the water and stunning bay views, our coastal and marine areas attract locals and visitors all year around. Our foreshore provides a wide range of recreational, economic and lifestyle opportunities. These are supported by facilities, infrastructure and management initiatives that maintain our open space, preserve areas of cultural importance and protect and enhance our sensitive and unique environments.

Our Coastal and Marine Management Plan (CMMP) will help guide appropriate and effective management of Kingston’s marine and coastal areas. With increasing pressures from development and growth, a changing climate and aging and inadequate infrastructure, a range of initiatives are needed to appropriately balance the management of social, cultural, environmental, and economic values of our coastline, ensuring it remains a desirable place to live, work and visit.

The CMMP aims to provide Council a strategic direction for the management of coastal and marine areas within the municipality over the next five to ten years. With increasing pressures from urban growth and a changing climate and environment, this plan will ensure that our community can continue to enjoy using our beaches and open public spaces along the coast and improve our management approach into the future.

The CMMP includes:

• a vision and objectives reflecting community and stakeholder sentiment, and aligning with legislative direction
• the values and future aspirations for Kingston’s coastal and marine areas
• current and emerging issues, including those which may potentially threaten values
• potential opportunities, priority actions and projects for delivery, over the next 5-10 years
• an implementation pathway and monitoring framework.

This plan is intended to reflect interests of our Kingston community. This includes all those who enjoy, use, care for and rely upon Kingston‘s coastal and marine areas - our residents, businesses, workforce, visitors and Council.

Community and stakeholder perspectives have helped us shape our CMMP, and has seen us consulting with Council staff, agencies, Traditional Owner groups and our community, including our Bay Watch Committee, formed specifically to help advise this project.

Endorsed by Council in September 2021, the plan was placed on public exhibition, for a 4-week period from Wednesday 22 September to Wednesday 20 October. Thank you to all who provided feedback.

Your input helped shape the final version of the plan, which was approved by Council at Kingston's 13 December 2021 Council Meeting.

The plan was approved by the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action in April 2023.

A link to the plan can be found in the Documents library on the right-hand side of this page.