Sisters Beach Foreshore Management Plan

The Sisters Beach Foreshore Management Plan is a practical, long-term approach to caring for this coast over the next 5–10 years. It provides a clear strategy to protect and manage the coast and dunes seeking to preserve its natural character and respect ecological, cultural, and social values. It has combined local knowledge, scientific evidence, and expert analysis.

The FMP was jointly developed by the Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service (PWS), as the primary land manager, and Waratah-Wynyard Council (WWC), who is responsible for community assets and engagement.

The FMP identifies the important values of Sister Beach, the major threats to the values and actions to manage the threats.

Sisters Beach is a much-loved coastal place where nature, culture and community come together. Nestled beside the bushland landscapes of Rocky Cape National Park it supports diverse wildlife, ecosystems and enduring connections to land and sea. It is a place people connect to nature through walking, swimming, exploring or simply enjoying its natural beauty.

Like many coastal communities across Australia, Sisters Beach is facing increasing challenges from climate change, rising sea levels and erosion. These pressures are compounded by the impacts of people living alongside a naturally dynamic coast, estuary and dune system. Without careful management, these pressures pose risks to the important coastal values present at Sisters Beach.

PWS and WWC in partnership, engaged Alluvium Consulting to develop the FMP. The FMP was prepared using local knowledge, scientific evidence, and expert analysis. It considers the strategic and policy context, landscape and geomorphic settings, coastal processes, coastal hazards, local site conditions and community engagement information in identifying practical management actions.

The FMP is underpinned by a set of objectives, aimed to preserve the natural character and protect and manage the values of Sisters Beach. Important elements of the objectives include:

• Respect the natural processes of the coast and maintain the overall form and function of the beach.
• Promote regeneration of native vegetation, enhance habitat condition, and stop illegal vegetation clearing to strengthen the dune system and reduce erosion.
• Prevent further establishment of unauthorised and informal beach access tracks or construction of assets or structures.
• Minimise risks to public safety and public, private, built assets and infrastructure.
• Restore and enhance public coastal spaces for the benefit of the community.
• Increase community awareness, education and understanding of the coastal environment and its management.

Threats and challenges in managing the Sisters Beach dunes and foreshore include:

• Informal access points and management activities.
• Encroachment and private use and unauthorised private assets on public land.
• Damage to the dune system, reducing its ability to act as a natural buffer against storms and erosion.
• Stormwater and drainage infrastructure across the beach.
• A lack of shared ownership in caring for the coast as a wider community versus private interests.

The FMP includes a range of actions to protect the natural, cultural and community values of Sisters Beach while addressing current and future challenges.

Key actions include:

• Managing beach access to protect the dune system and native vegetation.
• Reducing private encroachment and removing informal structures from public coastal land.
• Restoring and strengthening the dune system through native vegetation management.
• Improving the management of stormwater and drainage impacts on the foreshore.
• Working with the community to support shared stewardship of Sisters Beach.
• Restoring and enhancing public coastal spaces for the benefit, use and enjoyment of the community.

Access management control

Actions relating to managing access to protect the dune and vegetation focus on:

• Work with the community to consolidate access points
• Clearly designate all formal public access points (including signage and fencing)

These measures will help protect dune vegetation, maintain dune stability and support safe, responsible use of the foreshore.

Encroachment

Over time, some private features and uses have extended beyond property boundaries to encroach onto the Crown land. Encroachments may include home improvements, fencing creating exclusive spaces, as well as vegetation clearing or landscaping.

While often established gradually, these activities can affect sensitive dune vegetation, restrict movement along the foreshore and blur the distinction between private and public land. Clear guidance and consistent management will help protect Crown land and ensure it remains accessible and cared for by everyone.

Vegetation and habitat protection and enhancement

Healthy, connected coastal vegetation strengthens the foreshore, stabilises dunes and provides important habitat for native wildlife. However, vegetation can be damaged by informal access, clearing and other activities that extend onto Crown land.

The FMP focuses on education, clear communication and practical management to help protect sensitive areas. The supporting Vegetation Management Plan provides detailed guidance, with priority given to protecting high-quality remnant vegetation and restoring other areas through weed control, natural regeneration and replanting.

Climate change is increasing pressure on our coast through rising sea levels and more frequent and intense storms, increasing the risk of erosion and flooding at Sisters Beach.

Healthy sand dunes are one of our best natural defences, acting as a buffer between the ocean and inland areas. They absorb wave and storm impacts, helping to protect homes, infrastructure and the foreshore.

The Foreshore Management Plan uses Tasmanian Government coastal hazard mapping to identify areas with low to high vulnerability to future erosion and inundation. This information guides actions to protect and strengthen the dunes and improve the coast’s resilience over time.

To help protect what makes Sisters Beach unique, there are three connected projects underway designed to protect our coastline, enhance public spaces and prepare Sisters Beach and its community for future coastal change. The projects include:

1. Active Management Protocols (Short term)
   This project focuses on what we can do now. It will provide practical guidance for managing sand movement, vegetation and beach access around the Sisters Creek mouth, helping us respond quickly to erosion events while protecting the natural environment and important community values.
   
   
2. Sisters Beach Foreshore Management Plan (Medium term)
   Looking more broadly along the Sisters Beach foreshore, this strategic plan identifies priorities and actions to manage current and future coastal challenges, improve resilience, and guide coordinated decision-making by PWS and WWC. This includes actions to strengthen the important dune system and natural buffer it provides to growing hazard risks, increasing with sea level rise.
   
   
3. Open Space Planning (Long term)
   Looking further ahead, this project will develop a long-term vision for the Sisters Beach foreshore reserve. Using master planning informed by community values, it will explore future opportunities for public open space, recreation and community use, ensuring our coastal areas can continue to be enjoyed as the coastline changes over time.

Together, these projects provide a clear pathway for the future – from responding to today’s coastal changes, to planning for tomorrow, and creating a resilient, well-managed coastline for future generations.

Local community members and groups already play an important part in foreshore management at Sisters Beach and sharing observations about changes and concerns. Their knowledge and existing activities helped inform the Plan.

PWS and WWC will continue working with the community as priority actions are planned and implemented.

With the release of the FMP, the focus now shifts to implementation. There will be a number of important implementation phases:

1. Establishing baseline information (including public land boundary and informal infrastructures)
2. Protecting the best biodiversity areas
3. Prevent further clearing and loss
4. Promoting regeneration
5. Re-establishing by planting

Community involvement will be central to the success of the plan. PWS and WWC will work with the community to seek their input on implementation planning.

The first step for implementation is to assess Crown land boundaries and existing informal encroachments. PWS and WWC staff will be out on the foreshore in the coming months conducting surveys to gather and understand this key baseline information.

Yes, dog walking is permitted on certain sections of the beach area at Sisters Beach. Your dog must remain on a leash and not be taken to prohibited areas. For further information relating to dogs on beaches, including a map of prohibited and permitted areas, visit – Exercise Beaches and prohibited areas – Waratah-Wynyard Council. 

There is a dog off-leash exercise beach located on the far western end of Sisters Beach, from the boat ramp to Stockdale Avenue. Your dog may be exercised all year around off lead on this section, however your dog must still be in close proximity of you, as well as under your immediate effective control.  

To ensure we maintain a clean environment for everyone to enjoy, please dispose of any waste your dog deposits, as these areas are a shared environment for the enjoyment of everyone within the community.  

Managing the foreshore is a shared responsibility. Residents, visitors and community groups will be encouraged to play a role. Everyone can contribute through responsible behaviour and helping to care for the coast, this includes actions like planting and restoring natural dune dynamics and making some changes to access and use of sand dunes on the public land. Simple actions to protect and strengthen our dunes include:

• Staying on designated access tracks and avoiding fragile dune areas.
• Protecting native vegetation and supporting revegetation.
• Allowing dunes to move naturally where appropriate.

These approaches work with nature to help keep dunes healthy and protect the values that are important to the Sisters Beach community and its visitors.

More information can be found at www.warwyn.tas.gov.au/projects/sisters-beach-foreshore-management-plan or contacting Parks and Wildlife Service on (03) 6169 9015 or at propertyservices@parks.tas.gov.au

We want to keep you informed as this work progresses. As each property and situation is different, landholders may experience the process in different ways. Landholders adjoining the dune system will receive updates by letter at key stages, while project information and progress updates will be regularly shared on the website for the broader community.