Kingborough municipality is situated 10 km south of Hobart in Tasmania. It has 336 km of coastline, one of the longest stretches in the state, and covers a total area of 717 km2. Unfortunately, this coastline is increasingly at risk of damage due to coastal erosion. Kingborough Council has begun using geotextile sandbags to protect Coningham Beach from this erosion.

Coastal erosion is a natural process in which the removal of beach and dune material causes a loss of land along the shoreline. Strong winds, changing wave conditions, high tides and storms all contribute to coastal erosion and as a result the coastline continuously changes over time.

Climate change is predicted to worsen coastal erosion. Sea-level rise will speed up the process as waves reach higher up on the beach and the bank behind. Other impacts of climate change include changes to the frequency, severity and distribution of storms, which will lead to the loss of some sandy beaches and the flooding of low-lying areas.