ABSTRACT
Australians have had a long love affair with the beach. More than 85% of the nation lives in coastal cities or towns, and growth in the peri-metropolitan areas, spanning six state capital cities, is predominantly along the coastline. Further afield, retirees, alternative lifestylers, telecommuters, and economic migrants have sought refuge from urban sprawl in seaside villages and coastal towns, bringing significant environmental, social, and economic challenges akin to those reported in coastal areas experiencing growth and change in many parts of the world. This chapter explores the current legislative and administrative frameworks for coastal management in Australia, which has evolved through a series of national and state-level policy processes since the 1970s. The chapter highlights the tensions associated with Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) within a context of competing drivers for urbanisation (second-home tourism, retiree migration, and speculative development) and political contests over growth and environmental protection. Within this complex setting, some state and local governments have been particularly innovative in their approaches to planning and management in the coastal zone.
