COASTAL COMPARTMENTS,

SEDIMENT CELLS AND

VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT:
A Progress Report
Presentation to

WALIS MARINE
GROUP
MATT ELIOT AND IAN
ELIOT
Damara Pty Ltd, Innaloo , WA

BASIC CONCEPTS
Tata Perencanaan Unit Pengembangan Pantai Berdasarkan
Kondisi Geologi Pantai.
Setting Unit Perencanaan Pengembangan Pantai dipisahkan
berdasarkan atas kondisi geologi, struktur,
bentuk/fungsi/potensi lahan (tata guna lahannya).
Detail Perencanaan di identifikasikan berdasarkan atas selsel sedimen yang akan di analisa sumber sedimen, arah
transport dan deposisinya.
Perpaduan antara Pembagian klasifikasi Pantai dan sedimen
sel dalam satu kesatuan. Dibagi sesuai dengan tujuan
Pengembangan Pantai :
(a) Perencanaan dan manajemen SDA lingkungan pantai
(nearshore
marine and coastal environment)
(b) Penilaian Kerentanan (assessment of vulnerability)
terhadap bencana
pantai , perubahan iklim dan
kenaikan muka laut.

Zones: Broad sectors

of the Australian
continent based on
climate

Divisions: Provides
an overview of the
whole state suitable
for maps at scales of
about 1:5,000,000

Land Systems: Areas

of characteristic
landform patterns
suitable for mapping at
regional scales of
1:50,000 to 1:100,000

Compartments: A
local unit based on one
or more definite
landforms suitable for
mapping at scales of
about 1:25,000 to
1:50,000

Provinces: Areas
defined on
geomorphologic or
geological criteria
suitable for regional
perspectives at scales
of about 1:1,000,000

Sediment Cells: A local

unit based on several
linked landforms suitable
for mapping at scales of
about 1:5,000 to
1:25,000

Regions: Areas with

recurring patterns of
landform and geology
suitable for regional
mapping at scales of
approximately 1:250,000

Landforms: A local unit

based on one or more
landforms suitable for
mapping at scales of
about 1:5,000 to
1:15,000

PRIMARY COMPARTMENTS AND

SEDIMENT CELLS

POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS
COMPARTMENT
S
Landforms (Framework) & Processes (Drivers)

PLANNING
PURPOSES

Marine &
coastal
planning

Habitat
descriptio
n
Marine
conservation

EBFM

Marine &
coastal
risk
assessmen
t

Major Landform Assemblages

(After: Searle & Semeniuk 1985)
Nearshore Morphology
Islands
Linear reefs and submarine ridges
Pavements
Sand banks
Sand flats and seagrass meadows
Landforms of the Shore
Shoreline shapes (straight, irregular,
arcuate and zeta-form)
Rocky coasts (cliffs, ramps and
platforms)
Beaches (sheltered and exposed forms)
Onshore Landforms
Limestone plateaux and outcrops
Foredunes
Frontal dunes (blowouts and parabolic
dunes)
Barriers
Estuaries
Deltas
Coastal lagoons and wetlands

An extreme event or events

may change the type or
location of a land system.
eg. Avulsion (channel
switching) and delta shift

STABILITY

VULNERABILIT
Y
Likelihood/Kemun
gkinan of
landform and/or
land system
change

Likelihood of
erosional change
to landforms
related to current
land surface
condition

SUSCEPTIBILI
TY

Likelihood of
structural
breakdown
leading to a
change in the
land system

Gradual landform change

associated with land
surface instability
ultimately results in
structural change.
eg. Barrier evolution

SUSCEPTIBILITY
Long-term Structural
Change

STABILITY
Short-term Landform
Spit
Change

Mouth

Ashburton River Delta

1963

Climbing dunes

Open river mouth

Active spit

Perched barrier and climbing

dunes
Mouth

Cliff & talus

slope
No barrier. Perched beach and old dunes

Ashburton River Delta

2009
Open river mouth
Active chenier

Rank 1: High cliff (>10m)

plunging to subtidal level

Rank 2: Moderate to high cliff

(>10m) with an intertidal
platform

Rank 3: Cliff (5 - 10m high)

and wide intertidal platform

The susceptibility of rocky coast

refers to the intrinsic propensity
of a coastal land system or
landform structure to alter in
response to projected change
in metocean conditions over a
long period, commonly
extending to millennia.
Variation in structure may occur
Rank 5: Gently sloping rocky shore spatially, due to differences in
rock type; or temporally as a
result in the differences in the
strength of the same rock type
and exposure to disparate
The sequence illustrated here loosely follows that described by
processes.
Sunamara (1992).

Rank 4: Rock pavement or

intertidal platform and low
bluff (<5m high)

ROCKY COAST SUSCEPTIBILITY

Rank 1: Episodic Transgressive

Barrier
Nested blowouts and parabolic
dunes.

Rank 2: Prograded Barrier

Low, foredune ridge plain

Rank 3: Stationary Barrier

Low or narrow ridge of
blowout
The susceptibility of a sandy
barrier refers to the intrinsic
propensity of the structure
comprising the barrier system to
alter in response to projected
change in metocean conditions,
particularly sea level rise over.

Rank 4: Receded Barrier

Low narrow dune ridge & old
shoreline

Barrier formation occurs over a

long period, commonly
millennia, although structural
Rank 5: Mainland Beach
change
from one type to
Narrow duns & beach abutting bedrock
.
another may occur within tens
to hundreds of years.

SANDY (BARRIER) COAST

SUSCEPTIBILITY

The sequence illustrated here follows that described by Roy (1994).

Rank 1: No beach OR a
foredune is located on a high
rock platform (>HAT)

Rank 2: Perched beach is

located on a supratidal rock
platform

Rank 3: Perched beach

adjoining a low bluff
Estimates of beach instability are
based on the exposure of the
beach to metocean processes.
The variability of sandy beaches
in different settings has been
described by Nordstrom (1992)
and Short (2005).

Rank 4: Perched beach on an

intertidal platform or beachrock
ramp

Rank 5: Perched beach on

shallow inshore pavement

STABILITY ON MIXED SANDY AND

ROCKY COAST

The sequence illustrated here follows that described by da Silva

(2010).

The stability of sandy beaches

perched on rocky substrates is
not as well known, although such
beaches are common features of
the Australian coast. The
sequence shows beaches subject
to increasing exposure to wave
and sea level variation.

Rank 1: Undisturbed dune sequence OR

Fully vegetated (>75% cover on barrier).

Rank 2: 50 to 75% vegetation cover on barrier

OR <25% active dunes or bare sand

Rank 3: 25-50% vegetation cover on

barrier OR 25-50% mobile dune

Estimates of instability are

based on the land surface
condition and the proportion
of area in a compartment or
cell that is currently bare
sand or subject to erosion.

Rank 4: <50% vegetation cover on

barrier OR 50-75% active dunes or bare
sand

Rank 5: Mobile sand sheets OR <25%

vegetation cover on barrier.

STABILITY ON SANDY COAST

The sequence illustrated here follows that described by Short (1988).

Destabilisation of dunes
occurs with destruction of a
foredune, scarping of the
frontal dunes or removal of
the vegetation cover.
Changes to vegetation cover
take place in a short period,
commonly sub-decadally.

SUSCEPTIBILITY

INSTABILITY

(Potential for structural impacts)

(Current changes to land surface)

BARRIER; PERCHED BEACHES

AND RIVER DELTAS

Rank

VEGETATION COVER: BARRIERS

AND TIDAL FLATS

(a) Episodic, Transgressive Barrier

No barrier OR

OR

Undisturbed dune sequence OR

(b) Dunes on supratidal rock surface

OR

Fully vegetated (>75% cover on

barrier) OR

(c) WD Delta: Mainly closed river

Wide Halophytic zone and narrow salt

mouth

flats

(a) Prograded Barrier OR

50 to 75% vegetation cover on barrier

(b) Perched beaches on intertidal

OR <25% active dunes or bare sand:

rock OR

OR

(c) WD Delta: Intermittently open

Narrow Halophytic zone, broad salt

mouth f

flats, few tidal creeks

(a) Stationary Barrier; OR No Barrier

(c) WD Delta: Permanently open

NEARSHORE
MORPHOLOGY
(Depth <25m)

INSHORE
SUBSTRATE
(Depth <5m)

SHOREFACE
STRUCTURE

BEACHFACE
MORPHOLOGY
& PROFILE

SHORELINE SHAPE
AND ORIENTATION

FRONTAL DUNE
COMPLEX &
TIDAL FLAT
MARGINS

VEGETATION
BARRIERS,
COVER :
PERCHED BEACHES
BARRIERS & TIDAL
& DELTAS
FLATS (

50-75% active dunes or bare sand; OR

4

Broad bare salt flats with Halophytic

patches, palaeochannels and tidal

features

creeks
Mobile sand sheets OR

(a) Mainland beach OR

(b) Narrow spit or chenier OR
(c) RD Delta: Active delta & stream
channels

<50% vegetation cover on barrier; OR

(a) Receded Barrier OR

(c)) RD Delta: Inherited deltaic

Narrow Halophytic zone, broad salt

STABILITY

flats, common tidal creeks

river mouth

(b) Salient & Cuspate foreland OR

25-50% mobile dunes; OR

SUSCEPTIBILITY

25-50% vegetation cover on barrier

OR
(b) Tombolo OR

Rank

AREAS OF LANDFORM

<25% vegetation cover on barrier OR

5

Broad bare salt flats with residual

mounds, palaeochannels and tidal
creeks

Land system and landform description

and

DESCRIPTION
Inshore
Shoreline and beachface
Barrier

SEDIMENT CELL
DESCRIPTION

Cell

Sout Nort
h
h

INSHORE

Between Seven Mile Beach

and Bobs Hole at Nine Mile
Beach the 20m isobath is
approximately 7km offshore.
The ridge of limestone reef,
which includes Nine Mile
7
9
Break, trends NNW and
Mile Mile parallel to the coast. It
24
Beac Beac becomes more irregular with
h
h
distance north but continues
to enclose a lagoon. Multiple
ridges of shallow limestone
reef, platforms and stacks
shelter the coast and close
with the shore at Bobs Hole.

SHORELINE
AND BEACHFACE

BARRIER

The shoreline has a shallowlyindented arcuate form and is

zeta-shaped to the south. In
the south, the beach abuts a
2km long, high platform. The
northern section of the coast
faces WSW with the nearly
continuous beach sheltered by
reef close to shore. The
exposed, reflective beach is
rhythmic with shallowly
indented embayments
between shoreline salients
associated with inshore reef
outcrops close to shore.

An episodic transgressive
barrier comprised of nested
parabolic and blowout dunes
overlie a limestone basement
of unknown depth and
distribution. Its vegetation
cover is between 25 and 75%.
The frontal dune is partly
scarped or steeply faced to
seaward, and its 25 to 75%
vegetation cover disturbed by
numerous access tracks. The
foredune is absent from much
of the coast, particularly south
of Getaway Beach.

Cell

Southern Boundary
of Cell

CAPE BURNEY
34 SOUTH
33 West Bank

Sus
Sho
cep
Ins reli
Asp Bar tibi
hor ne
ect rier lity
e
Pla
Sco
n
re

Sus
cep
tibi
lity
Rat
ing

Ins
hor
e
Sub
str
ate

Bar
Bea rier
ch Veg
Pro eta
file tio
n

Fro
ntal
Du
ne

Inst
abil
ity
Sco
re

MA
Inst
TRI
abil
X Vulner
ity
SC ability
Rat
OR
ing
E

14

16

M-H

10

15

M-H

32

Phillips Road Coast

10

15

M-H

31

Lucys

10

16

M-H

30

Duncans Pool

10

16

M-H

29

Flat Rocks

10

13

28

Headbutts

13

L-M

27

Shire Boundary

15

26

Bookara South

15

25

NINE MILE BEACH

11

17

M-H

24

Seven Mile Beach

11

L-M

23

Harleys Hole

10

L-M

22

Dongara North

10

L-M

21

LEANDER POINT

11

M-H

20

South Leander Point

11

17

M-H

19

White Point

11

17

M-H

18

CLIFF HEAD

11

15

M-H

SUSCEPTIBILITY (STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY)

Susceptibility
Scores

Indicative
Susceptibility

4-9

Low

10 14

Moderate

15 - 20

High

Projected Site Implications

Structurally sound geologic or geomorphic feature.

Determination of susceptibility may require resolution of metocean processes
Some structural features are unsound.
Detailed assessment of coastal hazards and risks is advised.
Structural features are extensively unsound.
Development is not recommended.

LANDFORM INSTABILITY
Instability
Scores

Indicative
Instability

4-9

Low

10 - 14

Moderate

15 - 20

High

Present Actions on Similar Sites

Resilient natural system occasionally requiring minimal maintenance
(eg. Alfred Cove, Milyu Reserve & Scarborough).
Management responses are required to accommodate a range of occasional
major events, regular
moderate events or frequent minor events. (eg. Broun Bay).
Current management responses require ongoing installation or repair of major
stabilisation works
(eg. Esperance, Port Geographe).

CONSEQUENCES FOR COASTAL

MANAGEMENT

INSTABILITY (CONDITION)
(Existing morphologic change to land surface)
Low (Stable)

Moderate

High (Unstable)

Example

Barrier perched on
Low extensive tracts of
coastal limestone

(1) Vegetated swales

(2) Vegetated dunes
in parabolic dunes
landwards of a
landwards of a
vegetated frontal
vegetated frontal
dune ridge and
dune ridge overlying
perched on coastal
coastal limestone
limestone at HWL
above HWL

(3) High foredune

ridge and/or
vegetated foredune
plain overlying
coastal limestone
below HWL

Weakly lithified
Moder barrier with
ate intermittent
limestone outcrops

(3) Vegetated dunes

(2) Mainly vegetated landwards of a
swales in parabolic mainly vegetated
dunes landwards of frontal dune ridge
a mainly vegetated (50 to 75% cover)
frontal dune ridge
and overlying
coastal limestone

(4) Cliffed or
discontinuous
foredune fronting
moderate numbers
of mobile blowouts
and sand sheets
(<50% of the
alongshore reach)

SUSCEP
TIBILITY
(STRUC
TURE)
(Potential
change to
geological
structure

(5) No foredune.
Barrier comprised
(3) Swales in
(4) Mainly vegetated Eroded frontal dune
wholly of sand.
parabolic dunes
dunes landwards of with numerous
High No bedrock apparent landwards of a partlya partly vegetated
mobile blowouts and
along shore or in
vegetated frontal
frontal dune ridge
sand sheets (>50%
dunes
dune ridge
with 25 to 50% cover of the alongshore
reach)

INDICATIVE
VULNERABILITY MATRIX
MIXED SANDY AND ROCKY
COAST
KEY

Combined
estimate
of vulnerability
Low
Low-to-moderate
Moderate
Moderate-to-high
High

Cell

Southern Boundary of Cell

Susceptibility

Instability

Vulnerability

Rating

Rating

Rating

34

CAPE BURNEY SOUTH

M-H

33

West Bank

M-H

32

Phillips Road Coast

M-H

31

Lucys

M-H

30

Duncans Pool

M-H

29

Flat Rocks

28

Headbutts

L-M

27

Shire Boundary

26

Bookara South

25

NINE MILE BEACH

M-H

24

Seven Mile Beach

L-M

23

Harleys Hole

L-M

22

Dongara North

L-M

21

LEANDER POINT

L-M

20

South Leander Point

M-H

19

White Point

M-H

18

CLIFF HEAD

M-H

Key Vulnerability
Low
Low-to-moderate
Moderate
Moderate-to-high

Implications for Development

Coastal risk is unlikely to be a constraint to
development
Coastal risk may present a low constraint to
development
Coastal risk may present a moderate constraint to
development
Coastal risk is likely to be a significant constraint to
development

Key Vulnerability
Low
Low-to-moderate
Moderate

Implications for Development

Coastal risk is unlikely to be a constraint to
development
Coastal risk may present a low constraint to
development
Coastal risk may present a moderate constraint to
development

VULNERABILITY ESTIMATES
COMPARTMENTS AND CELLS

INSTABILITY
(Existing Landform Change)
SUSCEPTIBILTY
Low
Medium
High
(Potential Change (Apparently accreting)
(Apparently
(Actively eroding)
to structure)
unchanging)

Rocky
Coast

Sandy
Coast

Deltaic
Coast

Low

Hard rock (granite)cliffs Soft rock (sandstone)

and rocky shores
cliffs and rocky shores

Shoreline advance
greater than 1.0 m/yr
Prograded & episodic
Medium
transgressive barrier
Vegetation cover >75%
on barrier

High

Shoreline change from

-1.0 to + 1.0 m/yr
Stationary barrier
Between 25% and 50%
vegetation cover on
barrier. Foredune
present

Less frequently than 10

Five to 10 yearly
yearly inundation of
inundation of:
Riverine floodplains,
Riverine floodplains,
Mudflats & salt
Mudflats & salt
marshes, Spits
marshes, Spits

INDICATIVE VULNERABILITY MATRIX

BASED ON LARGE LAND SYSTEMS
VULNERABILITY = SUSCEPTIBILITY +
INSTABILITY

Weakly lithified rock

(calcarenite) cliffs &
rocky shores

Shoreline retreat
greater than 1.0 m/yr
Retreating barrier&
cuspate foreland.
Vegetation cover
<50% on barrier.
Cliffed frontal dunes

Annual to 5 yearly
inundation of:
Riverine floodplains,
Mudflats & salt
marshes, Spits
KEY

Ranked estimate
Low
Low to Moderate
Moderate
Moderate to high
High

VULNERABILITY ESTIMATES
PRIMARY COMPARTMENTS

POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS
COMPARTMENT
S
Landforms (Framework) & Processes (Drivers)

PLANNING
PURPOSES

Marine &
coastal
planning

Habitat
descriptio
n
Marine
conservation

EBFM

Marine &
coastal
risk
assessme
nt

Community Involvement
through information
gathering and workshops

START
DETERMINE THE SCOPE
0F PROJECTED CHANGE
& RESPONSE URGENCY

Determine gaps in available

information and assess
further needs

Monitor and assess

actions implemented
under the strategy

Improve understanding of
the biophysical
environment

Implement strategy based

on current available
information

ISO 31000
Methodology
applied to NCCOE
(2004) vulnerability
assessment

Determine a strategy for

hazard management and
risk avoidance

(1) Initial
strategy is
based on
available
information.
(2) Review
strategy at 5
year intervals

Community Involvement
through information
exchange and workshops

Acquisition of new
information and data as
the cycle is repeated

Agree on environmental,
social and economic
values for risk mitigation

Identify areas requiring

new work or replacement
of infrastructure

Estimate current
environmental, social and
economic costs
Identify projected hazards
and risks to people &
property

Community Involvement
through information
exchange and workshops

PLANNING CYCLE FOR COASTAL RISK ASSESSMENT

Project in cycle

Community participation

Planning for hazard & risk mitigation

Ian Eliot 2009

AS NZS (2009) ISO 31000

Risk Assessment Framework
Adapted to Coastal Management
From: Rollason et al. (2010)
and Rollason & Haines (2011)

Commonwealth
Climate Change
Assessments
Cities
NCVA
LAPP ANUGA PNP
Project
State Government
Coastal
Coastal Assessments
Coastal
Coastal
Process
Studies
SPP2.6
Review

Hazard
Planning
Assessmen Studies
ts
Pilbara
Regional
Cities
Strategie
s

Local Government
Coastal
Assessments
DIVERSE!!