Newcastle's Coastline

The native vegetation found along the Newcastle coastline is quite limited due to pressures from urbanisation and the spread of the highly invasive coastal weed called Bitou Bush (Chrysanthemoides monilifera). The first infestation of Bitou Bush in Australia was actually recorded at Stockton in 1908. It is thought that the Bitou Bush arrived in the ballast of a ship from South Africa. Further information about Bitou Bush can be found at the Office of Environment and Heritage website.

Whilst our coastline is subject to significant pressures, there is still a small, but important vegetation corridor that exists along most of the coast. Council, Landcare, and others are undertaking ongoing revegetation works along our coastline to maintain this vital corridor. The goals of Council's ongoing revegetation works are to:

Protect and enhance native coastal habitat values, and threatened vegetation species
Minimise the impacts of weeds and pests
Protect valuable built infrastructure from erosion.

Some examples of the works Council has undertaken are shown below.

Horseshoe Beach 2012

Horseshoe Beach 2014

Shortland Esplanade 2014

Shortland Esplanade 2015

Themeda Grasslands

Newcastle's coastline is home to a very rare community called Themeda grasslands ⁽¹⁾.

Themeda Grasslands at the Memorial Walk

The grassland is only found on coastal headlands and seacliffs. Individual patches of the grassland can be as small as a few square metres in size. In Newcastle, we are lucky to have 2.6 hectares of the grassland across King Edward Park, The Obelisk and Strzelecki.

Kangaroo Grass (Themeda australis) is the main species found in the grassland. Whilst Kangaroo Grass is widespread across Australia, the coastal species is believed to be genetically distinct because it is shorter and has waxy blue-green leaves which turn a beautiful red colour in the cooler months. In spring and summer, the grass bears a unique seed head.

Themeda Seedhead (Source: Ecobiological 2012⁽²⁾)

As the grassland is an endangered ecological community, it cannot be mown. Not mowing the grassland allows us to enjoy the natural beauty of one of NSW's rarest communities.

This grassland community is now limited to very small patches along our coastline, and is at risk of extinction in NSW, so please tread lightly. Further information on Themeda grasslands can be found at the Office of Environment and Heritage website.

(1) Full name of the endangered ecological community is Themeda Grassland on Seacliffs and Coastal Headlands in the NSW North Coast, Sydney Basin and South East Corner Bioregions.
(2) Ecobiological. (2012). Ecological Assessment of Themeda Grassland on Seacliffs and Coastal Headland in the NSW North Coast, Sydney Basin and South East Corner Bioregions. Warners Bay: Ecobiological.

Newcastle's coastal rock platforms are occupied by a great diversity of plants and animals. A total of 170 invertebrate species have been recorded on Newcastle's rock platforms, including:

8 anemone species
4 sponge species
10 arthropod species (crabs and barnacles)
68 mollusc species (including snails, slugs, octopus).

Rose Petal Bubble Shell (Hydatina physis) (Source: Dave Harasti⁽¹⁾)

Up to eighteen bird species can also be found on our rock platforms, including seven protected bird species:

Common Tern
Grey-tailed Tattler
Little Tern
Red-necked Stint
Ruddy Turnstone
Sooty Oystercatcher
Crested Tern.

Crested Tern (Thalasseus bergii) (Source HBOC)

The rock platforms between the Soldiers Baths and Newcastle Beach are the most important platforms in Newcastle. They are home to the greatest number of rare invertebrate and bird species found along our coastline.

Further information about the plants and animals that call our coastal rock platforms home can be found at:

Rock Platform Animals
Rock Platform Birds
Rock Platform Crabs
Rock Platform Algae
Beachcombing and Shells

Tips to Protect our Rock Platforms

To help protect our rock platforms, please remember:

to look at rock platform creatures, but don’t touch
to avoid disturbing the birds. Try to walk around the birds (keep 20m away if you can), this will help the birds to stay relaxed
don’t throw anything at the birds
don’t pick up the birds if they are looking tired
dogs aren’t allowed on our rock platforms
to take home any discarded fishing tackle. This will help protect our bird friends from swallowing, or getting caught in, unwanted fishing tackle.

Blue Lined Octopus (Hapalochaena fasciata) (Soruce: Dave Harasti ⁽¹⁾)

(1) Dave Harasti. See www.daveharasti.com/

Potential sources of pollution on Newcastle's beaches include:

stormwater runoff, which can carry pollutants like hydrocarbons from roads, chemicals from tyres, nitrogen and phosphorus from fertilisers, detergents, animal excrement, litter, and sediment
discharge of pollutants from the Hunter River, which includes pollutants from urban, industrial and agricultural lands
sewage overflows and discharges from wastewater treatment plants
litter from beach users.

What is Council doing to manage coastal pollution?

Council undertakes a number of activities to help manage coastal pollution, including:

implementing an ongoing program of works to improve the quantity and quality of stormwater (including gross pollutant traps, sand filters and porous pavement)
requiring developments to have appropriate stormwater controls in place to prevent pollutants from entering our waterways
educating the community about stormwater and our waterways
undertaking regular beach cleaning, which includes the use of a tractor and sieve to remove litter from the sand.

Further information about coastal pollution can be found at the Office of Environment and Heritage website.

4WD motor vehicles are not permitted on the beaches within the Newcastle local government area (between Glenrock lagoon and the rifle range at Stockton).

4WD motor vehicles can drive on Stockton Beach within the Worimi Conservation Lands, which is located in the Port Stephens local government area. Further information can be found at the Worimi website.

Information about the impacts of 4WDs on coastal dunes can be found on page 29 of the Coastal Dune Management Manual.

Newcastle is subject to a number of coastal hazards including beach erosion and recession, coastal inundation, and coastal cliff instability. Further information about Newcastle's coastal hazards can be found on the Coastline Hazard page.

Council has prepared a number of documents to identify the issues impacting on the coastline, and the management actions that should be undertaken to address the issues. Council undertakes priority works listed in these documents on an ongoing basis.

The Newcastle Coastline Management Study provides background information about the coastline (including flora/fauna, pollution, and stormwater) and outlines potential management actions for addressing the key issues impacting on the coastline. The Study was developed after extensive community consultation.

The Newcastle Coastal Zone Management Plan contains the list of agreed management actions that Council, and others, aim to implement over time. The Newcastle Coast and Estuary Vegetation Management Plan prioritises on ground works to protect coastal plants and animals in Newcastle.