Wollongong has adopted a coastal zone management plan to mitigate climate change-induced hazards.

The NSW Government gazetted the plan this month.

It says beach erosion, shoreline recession, coastal inundation, cliff instability and geotechnical hazards, coastal entrance instability, erosion of beaches at stormwater outlets and drainage lines, and sand drift are the main hazards affecting the city’s coast.

Risks were established for 2010, 2050 and 2100 timeframes, highlighting a shift in risk profiles as sea levels rise and other climate change impacts begin to manifest.

“Climate change induced by anthropogenic forces, particularly the burning of fossil fuels for energy, is now widely accepted,” the management plan says.

“In relation to coastal processes, climate change may increase sea levels and change rainfall and the frequency and intensity of extreme events.”

Many private properties along the Wollongong coast face current and future coastal risks, the plan says. Two homes, one at Thirroul Beach and the other at McCauleys Beach, face significant risk in the future from storm erosion.

“It is impractical to protect these individual properties without having significant impact on the overall beach amenity,” the plan says.

“These properties should therefore be returned to public ownership and abandoned/sacrificed in the future as the beaches slowly recede.”