Extended Stockton Coastal Management Program
Extended Stockton Coastal Management Program
We now have the Extended Stockton Coastal Management Program (CMP) in place which broadens the geographical area originally covered by the 2020 Stockton Coastal Management Program (CMP) to include the northern end of Stockton Beach from Meredith Street to the Port Stephens Local Government Area boundary, as shown on the map.
The land to the north of Meredith Street is owned and managed by Defence Housing Australia, Hunter Water, Crown Land and the Department of Communities and Justice, and we are working closely with these stakeholders.
Work was completed in December 2021 to evaluate four additional coastal management schemes, identified from feedback from the community (PDF 227KB), to complement mass sand nourishment. Click on the images below to learn more about each of the four schemes or read a summary in our printable Fact Sheet (PDF).
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The Extended Stockton Coastal Management Program has incorporated the findings of the Evaluation Report, which identified that an ongoing program of sand maintenance or "amenity" nourishment is the best way to provide a buffer for the coastline and beach amenity at Stockton.
Councillors voted unanimously at the August Ordinary Council meeting to endorse the Extended Stockton Coastal Management Program (CMP) and was formally certified by the NSW Minister for the Environment in November 2025.
Click here to find out more about what we heard during community consultation.
What's next?
The development of a Coastal Management Program follows a five-stage process directed by the Coastal Management Act 2016. We have completed Stages 1, 2, 3 and 4 of this process for the Extended Stockton Coastal Management Program.
We are now in Stage 5 of the process, implement, monitor, evaluate and report.
Why did we update the 2020 Stockton Coastal Management Program?
The 2020 Stockton Coastal Management Program (CMP) included actions to help manage, maintain, and preserve the coast between the northern breakwater of the Hunter River and Meredith Street. This area is shown on the map.
The 2020 Stockton CMP established the need for mass sand nourishment but did not include a pathway for delivery. The Extended Stockton CMP contains a list of management actions to establish a holistic and integrated program for the funding and maintenance of mass sand nourishment, to buffer the impacts of erosion and preserve the coastline adjacent to the suburb of Stockton for future generations.
This includes an ongoing program of sand top-ups, which was identified as the community's preferred complementary management scheme in December 2021.
Sand top-ups were identified as the best choice to support mass nourishment for Stockton as they replicate the natural sand supply, are more cost effective than built structures, are adaptable to conditions and maintain the identity of the area.
The Extended Stockton CMP also broadens the geographical area covered by the Stockton CMP 2020, to include complementary actions for the northern end of Stockton Beach from Meredith Street to the Newcastle - Port Stephens Local Government Area boundary.
The intention of the draft Extended Stockton CMP is to ensure Stockton’s coastal area is protected, enhanced and resilient, and that beach amenity, recreational uses and the sense of identity that the coastline provides our community is maintained.
The 2020 Stockton CMP established the need for mass sand nourishment, but did not include a pathway for delivery. The draft Extended Stockton CMP contains a list of management actions to establish a holistic and integrated program for the funding and maintenance of mass sand nourishment, to buffer the impacts of erosion and preserve the coastline adjacent to the suburb of Stockton for future generations.
This includes an ongoing program of sand top-ups, which was identified as the community's preferred complementary management scheme in December 2021.
Sand top-ups were identified as the best choice to support mass nourishment for Stockton as they replicate the natural sand supply, are more cost effective than built structures, are adaptable to conditions and maintain the identity of the area.
The draft Extended Stockton CMP broadens the geographical area covered by the Stockton CMP 2020, to include complementary actions for the northern end of Stockton Beach from Meredith Street to the Newcastle - Port Stephens Local Government Area boundary.
