Joondalup Alternative Coastal Adaptation Options

ICM in partnership with Griffith University supported the City of Joondalup to review and document alternative coastal adaptation options for the City’s coastline. The work assembled and synthesised existing plans, datasets and prior management actions, then set out a clear, decision-ready long list of measures to inform the Draft Coastal Hazard Risk Management and Adaptation Plan (CHRMAP).

Project Details

• Client: City of Joondalup

• Partner: Griffith University

• Location: Western Australia, Australia

• Date: 2026

About This Project

The Challenge

Joondalup’s coastline is an open, sandy, micro-tidal, high-energy environment experiencing chronic erosion pressures, with important assets and community values concentrated along the foreshore. The City required an evidence-based review of adaptation measures that could suit local conditions, align with existing planning, and be screened for feasibility before progressing to more detailed assessment and implementation planning.

The Solution

ICM and Griffith University completed a comprehensive review of relevant reports, coastal data and existing management frameworks, supported by a targeted literature review of global best practice and comparable settings. Adaptation measures were structured into practical categories, including sand management approaches, submerged or low-crest structures, emerged hard structures, and hybrid or innovative alternatives. For each option, we documented the intended function, typical applications, key design considerations and constraints, and implications for Joondalup, and identified options that were not suitable or were outside the project scope. The outcome was an options long list aligned with the Draft CHRMAP structure, providing a clear basis for subsequent multi-criteria and cost-benefit assessment, community discussion and staged delivery. The report will provide council and stakeholders clear options for ongoing development.

Services Provided

• Desktop review of existing plans, reports and available coastal datasets

• Literature review of global practice and comparable coastal environments

• Development of a structured list of adaptation measures suited to local conditions

• Documentation of design considerations, constraints and implications for implementation

• Identification of out-of-scope and unsuitable options

• Preparation of a preliminary options long list aligned with the Draft CHRMAP

Have a project in mind? Reach out to our coastal specialists.