NSW Government
Planning

Coastal Design Guidelines

Coastal and marine management

Coastal Design Guidelines. Credit: © Silvan Bluett

The NSW coastline is an amazing natural resource, and we need to protect it.

The NSW Coastal Design Guidelines (PDF, 9.2 MB) provide a framework on how to do this. The guidelines can be used by councils, developers and anyone involved in designing coastal places.

Proponents must use the guidelines when seeking to change planning controls in the coastal zone through a planning proposal. Plan-making authorities must also use the guidelines to assess planning proposals.

Councils, designers, architects and landscapers can also use the guidelines to better understand and create high quality urban design outcomes for coastal places. This guidance can apply across all project scales, from business cases and feasibility studies through to master plans and precinct plans.

Following public feedback in 2022, the guidelines were updated in late 2023.

View the guidelines

Planning proposal requirements

Planning proposals in the coastal zone must include a completed assessment checklist that shows how they are consistent with the guidelines. View an example of a completed planning proposal checklist (PDF, 263 KB). The example shows how to use the checklist and the expected level of detail.

An optional checklist for the urban design outcomes is also available.

The assessment checklists are editable PDFs.

Assessment checklists

If you require Word document versions of these checklists, email [email protected]

Case studies

We’ve prepared case studies to show how the design objectives of the NSW Coastal Design Guidelines could be applied during projects.

While this guidance was not in place during the design of these projects, the case studies highlight project elements that align with the design objectives in chapter 4 of the updated guidelines. These case studies are illustrative only and are not intended to critique or endorse the projects.

Wagonga Inlet Living Shoreline. Image credit: Wagonga Inlet Design Team: Nicole Larkin Design, REALMstudies, ShortPants Consulting and Royal Haskoning DHV.
Wagonga Inlet Living Shoreline.
Credit: Wagonga Inlet Design Team – Nicole Larkin Design, REALMstudies, ShortPants Consulting, Royal Haskoning DHV.
Wagonga Inlet Living Shoreline
People walking and cycling along Parramatta Escarpment Boardwalk. Image credit: Abergeldie
Parramatta Escarpment Boardwalk
The Platform at the Waverton Coal Loader. Image credit: North Sydney Council
Waverton Coal Loader
Carss Bush Park, along the western foreshore of Kogarah Bay (part of the Georges River). Georges River local government area / Eora. Credit: M Plytarias
Carss Bush Park Foreshore Naturalisation

Frequently asked questions

Do the guidelines apply to planning proposals that have already been prepared?

The requirement to be consistent with and give effect to section 3.2 of the guidelines is mandatory under Local Planning Direction 4.2 (Coastal Management). This applies to all planning proposals prepared after 10 November 2023.

This means that the guidelines must be addressed if:

  • the planning proposal had not been lodged for gateway assessment by 10 November 2023
  • the planning proposal had been lodged for gateway assessment by 10 November 2023 but was still being amended – for example, if the planning proposal authority requested amendments to respond to additional studies and investigations, or feedback from stakeholders
  • the plan–making authority issues a gateway determination condition requiring the planning proposal to give effect to the guidelines.

For planning proposals that progressed through these stages before 10 November 2023, the requirement to be consistent with the 2003 guidelines still applies.

Why did we update the guidelines?

Regular updates help improve strategic decision–making and environmental outcomes in our coastal places based on current information. Updating the guidelines is an action under the NSW Marine Estate Management Strategy 2018-2028, and ensures it remains consistent with the coastal management framework.

The updated guidelines reflect best–practice urban design and place-based planning. They outline a better understanding of land and sea Country principles and coastal hazard management. They provide clear guidance about planning proposal requirements in the coastal zone and balance environmental, economic, social and cultural needs.

Where do the guidelines apply?

The guidelines apply to the NSW coastal zone. The NSW coastal zone consists of the:

  • coastal wetlands and littoral rainforests area
  • coastal vulnerability area
  • coastal environment area
  • coastal use area.

These areas are mapped under State Environmental Planning Policy (Resilience and Hazards) 2021.

The coastal zone extends beyond the open coast. It covers coastal lakes, estuaries, rivers and other waterways to their tidal extent. It also covers land near these natural features. You can view these areas using the NSW Planning Portal spatial viewer.

How do the guidelines support local communities?

The guidelines:

  • support a balance between environmental, economic, social and cultural needs
  • cater to growing communities and their changing needs
  • support coastal industries such as fishing, boating and tourism
  • support diverse housing supply in suitable locations.
How do the guidelines develop connections with Country?

Planners and designers must consider Country in their plans. The guidelines refer to the Connecting with Country framework, which develops connections with Country for built environment projects in NSW.

How does this relate to the urban design guidance from the NSW Government Architect?

The guidelines complement the NSW Government Architect’s Better Placed and Greener Places frameworks. The NSW Coastal Design Guidelines provide specific urban design guidance for the coastal zone.

For more information: