Coastal Hazards and climate change adaptation

Recent storms and erosion have caused infrastructure and cliff faces to become unstable between the Gulls Way stairs and Olivers Hill car park. Due to high risk of further collapse, please keep clear while we investigate and undertake remediation.

The coast is a highly dynamic environment, constantly responding to the influence of tides, wind, waves and weather systems. When these coastal processes have a negative impact on natural or built assets, they are considered a hazard. Coastal hazards such as erosion and storm surge have always been present, however, these coastal hazards may worsen as a result of a changing climate.

The region has historically faced coastal hazards, as demonstrated by the landscape interventions like river training walls, seawalls, groynes, and beach nourishment. With ongoing climate change, these hazards will undoubtedly intensify, and the pressures on coastal area use and development will likely increase. These combined constraints will render existing interventions ineffective in the future and may compromise other intended coastal management outcomes. Therefore, a comprehensive plan is essential to understand the existing and evolving risks and identify potential adaptive and responsive pathways.

The City of Frankston, supported by funding from the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, is preparing The Frankston City Coastal Resilience 2100 (FCCR2100) project by undertaking Stages 1-4 of the Victoria’s Resilient Coast – Adapting to 2100+ (2023) (VRC) framework to develop and progress strategic coastal hazard risk management and climate change adaptation.

This project is looking to expand on the Port Phillip Bay Coastal Hazard Assessment with other regional, local and site-specific investigations to understand current and future coastal hazard extents, risk and vulnerability.