Building Coastal Resilience in Perth’s Communities

Perth NRM has secured funding from the Australian Government’s Disaster Ready Fund – Round 2 to launch a three-year project ‘Building Coastal Resilience in Perth’s Communities’ addressing coastal hazards and disaster preparedness across five local government areas; Fremantle, Cambridge, Stirling, Joondalup, and Wanneroo.

Funded by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and supporting by Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES), this project will implement green infrastructure, increase educational opportunities, and engage community through citizen science monitoring to enhance coastal resilience along Perth’s northern coastline.

Led by Project Manager Vanessa McGuiness, Perth NRM will collaborate with local councils, community groups, research institutions, and industry partners. Over $190,000 will be available to install nature-based methods for dune stabilisation and management, such as sand-trap fencing, matting, brushing and plants. Coastal monitoring will be in the hands of the community, with the installation of CoastSnap stations to obtain long-term data and observe coastal changes overtime.

Community education will also play a key role, with capacity-building activities and Perth NRM’s Adopt A Beach Program delivered annually, supported by a total budget of $45,000 over three years. Aboriginal engagement is a priority, to connect people to the cultural values of the coast and incorporate Indigenous knowledge on coastal resilience.

A communications strategy is in development to increase awareness of coastal risks, to create stronger, more resilient coastal communities prepared for future environmental challenges.

For more information, contact:
Vanessa McGuiness
Perth NRM Program Manager – Coastal + Marine
E: [email protected]
M: 0499 104 660