Clarence City Council has received the 2014 Australian Coastal Award for the implementation of an endorsed climate change adaptation pathway.

Over the past five years, council has introduced Planning Scheme overlays, mainstreamed Climate Change across all business sectors within the Council and undertaken a series of no regretand win-win strategic approaches to on ground coastal adaptation projects. These have included; beach scraping, dune building, biodiversity assessments, sand supply assessments, high-resolution aerial monitoring of vulnerable beaches, beach profile surveys, community beach monitoring, photogrammetric assessments of erosion trends and development of new Coastal Erosion Hazard and Coastal  Inundation Planning Scheme overlays.

In order to develop a strategic on ground adaptation approach for Clarence's most vulnerable coastal beach, Lauderdale, Council became a partner in the Tasmanian Coastal Adaptation Decision Pathway Project.  Extensive, stakeholder consultation and scientific assessments resulted in the identification of a strong community desire to protect property from erosion whilst maintaining the beach for as long as possible. This endorsed strategic pathway has enabled Council to progress with confidence on planning major adaptation works. After exploring various coastal defence options, and following further consultation, the Council now has technical, social and in-principal local Government political licence to progress with a multi-million dollar, 160 metre, trial groyne at Bambara reef.

There have been extraordinary challenges, and new boundaries to manage, in progressing to this stage.  There remain some significant hurdles to overcome, particularly on the question of "who pays?", and the acquisition of legal, State Government political, and insurance licences.