Coastal studies protect our greatest asset

Rising sea levels coupled with changes to climate and weather patterns present an increased risk of flooding for those living on the coast in WA.

Nearly 20 per cent of our homes and 30 per cent of commercial buildings are located within one kilometre of the coast which underlines the importance of the Department of Transport’s (DoT) leading role in the sustainable management of our coastline.

While considered less of a threat than coastal erosion, understanding which communities are most at risk of coastal inundation is key part of DoT’s long-term management strategy for one of our greatest assets.

DoT’s coastal engineers have completed a statewide coastal inundation assessment for WA which together with work to identify coastal erosion hotspots allows work and capital funding to be prioritised to maintain the coast and prevent costly damage.

A Statewide Coastal Inundation Assessment for WA identifies 23 specific at risk locations and found that targeted work could alleviate the threat of inundation at more than half (13) of those locations. Additionally, the Assessment of Coastal Erosion Hotspots report identifies 55 hotspots where coastal erosion is expected to be a threat to coastal values and assets, and an additional 31 watch list locations for future investigation.