Digital Earth Australia coastlines map shows the state of our beaches

The shoreline was at its most seaward in 1994, and most landward in 2022, with the average annual position of the shoreline moving 42 metres since 1988.

The data is revealed on an interactive coastlines map by Digital Earth Australia, a project by the Australian Government's Geoscience Australia.

The coastlines map has been tracking the annual shorelines and rates of coastal change along the entire Australian coastline from 1988 to the present.

It combines satellite data from Geoscience Australia's Digital Earth Australia program with tidal modelling to map the typical location of the coastline at mean sea level each year.

The map shows which parts of the Port Stephens coastline are receding, such as at the Karuah River, Mullwee where it has retreated by 0.8 metres per year on average since 1988, and across the bay at The Boulevarde, Jimmys Beach where a piece has retreated a whopping 2.2 metres per year.

Large parts of the coastline have remained stable, with no significant retreat or growth such as at Anna Bay, Fingal Bay and Salamander Bay.

Other parts of the coastline have actually grown, such as a stretch off Worimi National Park, just west of Anna Bay which has grown one metre per year on average since 1988, and was most seaward in 2019 and most landward in 1989.

The Port Stephens coast has more receding parts, which show up red on the map, than Newcastle, which has problems around Stockton, but remains stable at Merewether and Redhead.

The map gives valuable insights into whether changes to our coastline are the result of particular events or actions, or a process of more gradual change over time.

This information can enable scientists, managers and policy makers to assess impacts from the range of drivers impacting our coastlines and potentially assist planning and forecasting for future scenarios.

View the Digital Earth Australia coastlines map at maps.dea.ga.gov.au/story/DEACoastlines.

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