The coast in Bega Valley Shire is arguably its greatest asset. The Bega Valley Council has implemented an integrated coastal management program that allows adaptation to the changing physical processes of the coast and seeks to meet the present needs of the community and those of future generations. The program aims to preserve, wherever possible, natural ecosystem function and to plan human settlements and infrastructure so that coastal processes can operate appropriately in a climate changed future.

To achieve this aim the Council has adopted an innovative landscape approach in its land use planning that seeks to maintain natural coastal functioning that includes links between the coast, estuaries and forest areas. New landscape zonings also include both vertical and horizontal buffers to support ecological function in the context of natural variability and longer term change. Strong stakeholder and community engagement secured support for the planning changes.