Apparently (I didn’t hear it myself) there was a chap who had called the ABC this morning implying that Shoalhaven Heads was identified as being one of the most prone areas when climate changes occur. He went on to state that he had ‘heard’ that people who live there were faced with huge home insurance premiums!

I don’t know about the second rumour - I strongly doubt it has any truth to it at all apart from the usual annual insurance premium rises we all are used to - but the second can be put to rest if you read the Draft Sea Level Rise Policy released by the council. Here’s an excerpt from the end of the document with the conclusions about Shoalhaven Heads:

“The assessment of coastal hazards has concluded that no private dwelling is at immediate risk of storm damage. However, the Surf Club building lies within the Zone of Wave Impact and Slope Adjustment, and has come under threat previously (for example, in the 1978 storm event).
For the 2050 planning period, the Surf Club building and adjacent car park extend into the Zone of Slope Adjustment. For the 2100 planning period, the Surf Club building extends within the Zone of Slope Adjustment and properties at the end of McIntosh Street and the fairways of the golf course lie at the landward edge of the Zone of Reduced Foundation Capacity.”

My conclusion is that the Surf Club will possibly need to be moved before 2025, and the Golf Club fairways will be well and truly ‘beach front’ by around 2050, but apart from that - relax! The link to the council website page is here if you want to study the reports and maps in detail.