12. PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE CM SEPP Council flagged our intent to submit a planning proposal for amendment of the Coastal Wetlands mapping of the CM SEPP in the Manning River ECMP Scoping Study (Annexure A). We engaged Locale Consulting to prepare evidence for the planning proposal for the Manning River ECMP and Old Bar-Manning Point CMP Planning Areas. Their report is provided in Annexure M: Recommendations and evidence to support a future Planning Propsal to amend the CM SEPP (Locale Consulting 2021). It covers both coastal wetlands and littoral rainforest, noting there is no littoral rainforest in the Manning River ECMP Planning Area.
The report prepared by Locale Consulting presents the results of a detailed analysis of the mapping and justification for the mapped areas in the State Environmental Planning Policy (Coastal Management) 2018 to be updated, via the Planning Proposal process.
It is Council’s intent to wait until fine-scale mapping and analysis has been completed for coastal wetlands across the entire LGA before submitting the planning proposal. The current exercise is therefore a first step in this process. A comprehensive community engagement and consultation program with affected landholders will be undertaken prior to submission of a planning proposal.
• Confidence in mapping methodology
As part of MidCoast Council’s commitment to the Coastal Management Program, detailed mapping of two of the coastal management areas was undertaken in 2019 - coastal wetlands and littoral rainforests. This finer-scale mapping shows additional areas outside currently mapped areas in the State Environmental Planning Policy (Coastal Management) 2018.
The environmental protection of these areas will have positive value to the broader community (being consistent with both the MidCoast Local Strategic Planning Statement and Community Strategic Plan) and implements a priority action in the Coastal Management Program.
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The mapping analysis gave detailed consideration to the following: • Existing State Environmental Planning Policy (Coastal Management) 2018 mapping • Definition of coastal wetlands and littoral rainforest • Condition of coastal wetlands and littoral rainforest The technical mapping analysis identified an additional 317.97 hectares comprising 112 wetlands in the Manning River catchment, noting these generally include parts of lots. Of the areas identified as coastal wetlands 123 lots (284.98 hectares) of private property are included.
Manning River Estuary and Catchment Management Program (ECMP)
