Coastal erosion risks swamping Australia’s Disaster Ready Fund
The costs of coastal erosion threaten to swamp a natural disaster budget already strained by floods and fire.
The costs of coastal erosion threaten to swamp a natural disaster budget already strained by floods and fire, as questions are raised over the decision to prioritise recovery over preparedness.
State and local governments praised the Albanese government for providing $1bn over five years via its Disaster Ready Fund to prepare for extreme weather at greater frequency, but it is much less than post-disaster recovery, which was allocated $11.4bn in the 2024-25 budget.
Coastal erosion is most acute in NSW, where the Reconstruction Authority warned the cost of disasters to the state would hit $9.1bn by 2060. Geosciences Australia estimates 39,000 homes are at risk nationally, presenting a $25bn threat to property.
An increasingly popular recommendation for holding back erosion is the engineering of “living shorelines”. By cultivating marine ecosystems and bolstering them with natural materials, a coastline can better withstand incoming tides.
Natural Hazards Research Australia chief executive Andrew Gissing said: “We know from research that investing in disaster preparedness is the best way to reduce the impacts to people, the environment and infrastructure – broadly the benefits are a $7 saving for every $1 spent. Mitigation and preparedness for coastal erosion will not only reduce any response costs when coastal erosion occurs, but directly reduce recovery costs related to property and the need for people to go through a recovery process, as the mitigation will have reduced the effect of the coastal erosion.”
Engineer Annabel Sandery, who consulted on the South Australian government’s coastal erosion policy, said: “When it comes to adaptation planning, the cost-benefit is clear: either delay and pay or plan and prosper. There are tangible solutions, from living shorelines through to co-ordinated stakeholder engagement that brings together local communities and government bodies.
“Many of our regional hubs will bear the brunt of future catastrophes and unless we pour more into prevention and resilience, I only see the situation worsening.”
UWA engineering consultant Bill Grace said some regions had endured years of erosion because politicians failed to plan beyond election cycles. “It’s short-termism … politicians are going to react to the protests outside the council office,” he said.
“We’re seeing councils like Byron Bay take different positions over time and basically overturn sensible planning decisions because of pressure from landowners. Nationally, there’s not nearly enough planning being done to prepare for adaptation generally, and coastal adaptation is the probably the most obvious.”
Federal Emergency Management Minister Jenny McAllister, who shares responsibility for coastline erosion prevention with Assistant Environment Minister Josh Wilson, said the Albanese government was working with states and local councils “to make significant investments in mitigation projects”.
Macquarie University coastal ecologist Melanie Bishop said the cultivation of natural sea habits was generally more effective than building a breakwater.
“Rehabilitating the natural shoreline ecosystems … delivers not just coastal protection, but multiple co-benefits by the way of fisheries production,” Dr Bishop said.
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