Tag Archives: climate change

Ocean Level Rising

The reality of ocean level rising at Cottesloe Beach and its impacts, need to be accurately explained beyond just technical data and facts. Geotechnical information needs to be comprehensive for the job to be done properly.

Implications of Ocean Level Rising

Many people do not understand full implications for ocean level rising. Many have real problems in visualizing three dimensions and therefore misunderstand the implications of heights and setbacks arguments and the threats to the amenity to beach goers.

It is often just as difficult for professionals to understand ocean level rising ramifications. This is why the general public must be fully informed of the implications of planning decisions in areas near to the beach

Not enough resources have been applied to communicating the visual impact of ocean level rising and planning decisions.

Accuracy has to be an effective first step in the process. Levels and alignments of the beach and promenade are critical components for an effective design process.

Ocean Level Rise Eliminates Beach

Beaches Eliminated As Oceans Rise

The reality is that the ocean level rising will eliminate the current stretch of beach sand. The primary sand dunes will also be lost or greatly degraded over time.

We need to adapt and plan for that eventuality now, before any hugely expensive developments commence. With ocean level rising there could be 20 metres of beach lost over the next 20 – 30 years. .

Extra space must be reserved to accommodate moving the beach eastwards.

Beaches will eventually cease to exist due to ocean level rising and if current development plans continue unchanged, there will be no allowance for a future Cottesloe Beach, as the ocean naturally tries to move it eastwards.

Ocean Level Rising Moves Beach Eastwards

We as a community and electors of government simply need to intervene now before expensive developments begin to evolve.

This was recommended as early as 2004 and anticipation of ocean level rising was included in our original report: Cottesloe Foreshore Plans carried out for the Town of Cottesloe. Climate change must be addressed. In other areas of this website we have written extensively on the problems created by lack of population control, by energy consumption growth and the need for improvement in our built environment to help greenhouse gas reduction.

Reposition Beach Developments

Apart from moving Cottesloe Beach eastwards we also need to extend a development zone eastwards, to make it possible for economically viable projects to proceed over time.This is a key element for creating a future beachfront of value.

We also need full morning sun to reach the promenade, key social areas and the beach along the waterline.

Overshadowing the beach

If a wall of shade prevails, these areas will no longer be attractive to the public.

Oceans To Rise 1-1.5 Metres

It is obvious that inaction over ocean level rising due to climate change is ensuring that we can expect the full one metre rise.

In fact, it is more likely to be 1.5 metres due to the slow action in abating CO²and other greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere by most of the developed world.

My suggestions regarding moving the beach eastwards should be considered simply as ‘damage control’.

Issues such as public parking, attractive access to the beach by nearby residents and the maintenance of heritage views need to be considered in any integrated vision for the precinct.

Key issues needed for a 100-year plan: Cottesloe Beach

Moving the beach stage-by-stage eastwards allowing 30 metre extra buffer zone
Setbacks of 30m from Marine Parade for all new developments
Identifying a development zone for commercial development expansion, subject to the proposed new 30 metre set back
Establishing rear access to the central car park off Marine Parade, to reduce summer car congestion.
Establishing low-key 2-storey height development as a front to a new 2 storey car park and reduce existing parking at the CBH/Indiana precinct.

Planning this beachfront is really a very complex task. It should not be oversimplified.The issue of ocean level rising is a serious matter.

SOLARDAY 2011

Solar-e.com endorses and commends the efforts of John Reed in establishing SOLARDAY 2011 across the United States of America and promoting its incorporation into the calendar of other countries throughout this amazing world that is our home.

SOLARDAY 2011

This type of focus is just what we need to make the general public throughout the world more conscious of the need for a 21^st century solar economy as fast as possible.

For Wise Earth P/L (our parent company) and its staff and management, every day is SOLARDAY!

Therefore, we take seriously this brilliant and visionary promotional idea. The next 20 years (up to 2030) will be the most important time for human action on Climate Change, in adapting to it and abating it in the medium and long term.

Now is the time the planning for our sustainable energy future. There really is no choice eventually.

We are absolutely convinced through our own research via our networks of imminent experts throughout the globe, that we need to go solar as fast as possible.

Instead of burning our cheap precious fossil fuels on ‘business as usual’ type developments and maintaining the ‘old fossil fuel economy ‘as long as possible, we really need to be using this cheap energy to produce as much solar energy utilization as possible and every other year from hereon, while it is still abundant.

It then can gain a critical mass and begin to replicate itself before our cheap fossil fuel is wasted.

Solarday 2011: How to get involved

To help get the message out there about SOLARDAY, the following is a personal invitation from John Reed to be involved and a media release for SOLARDAY 2011’s events. Also here is a list of the contributors and participants of SOLARDAY 2010’s event.

We recommend that you personally, as a non-profit, commercial enterprises and government authorities get on board with this and look at practical and effective ways of networking with solar-e to achieve exactly what this day has already become, and representing a potent symbol of the type of society and economy we need to develop.

I think that all societies and associations should get involved with this initiative. We need cooperation and collaboration and teamwork to pull off intelligent change.

This should not be a competition! It is our kids and grand children’s future we are helping to create.

Let’s applaud John Reed’s initiative and get on with it!

Garry Baverstock AM

Solarday 2011 Letter from John Reed

Solarday 2011 Media Release

Solarday 2010 Participants

SolarDay 2011 letter from Doris Matsui from the U.S. Congress

Cottesloe Foreshore Plans For Development

Often the truth is missed in a good story. This is clearly the case with the media portrayal of the Cottesloe Foreshore Plans and issues surrounding the new proposed planning scheme and the rules guiding future development along Marine Parade. As a follow up to the recent public meeting at the Civic Centre Hall, regarding the beachfront, the Cottesloe foreshore plans and the ensuing media frenzy, I have decided once and for all put my opinion clearly for the public record where I stand on this issue.

As explained many times to the Town of Cottesloe, my employer on this issue, I am not here to have my opinion ‘bought’ to serve official opinions with which I do not necessarily agree. In being commissioned for the work for the Town of Cottesloe I have made my position very clear that my opinion is a professional one and but it cannot be twisted to suit any dogmatic standpoint in this important argument about future development along the foreshore and commercial strip along the beachfront.

2004 Solar Study Cottesloe Foreshore Plans

Image WSW Cover My presentations made since 2004 have really been consistent. The problem is that some of my principles have been respected when it has suited the political stance of many in the Council – others conveniently ignored and in some cases, simply corrupted. The same could be said of the pro-development government personnel who attended the Enquiry by Design, and who are in my opinion, if anything, more political and fundamentalist about developmental action.

When it came to planning strategies at the Enquiry by Design (‘EbD’) consultation process some 5 years later, Councillors and officers alike ignored reason, in regard to a review of the development zone and the principles for protecting a future beach alignment. Then to make matters worse, the State Government ignored their own advice regarding ocean level rises in submitting their own version of 3D envelopes for beachfront development.

At the public meeting on the 16^thMarch, 2011, along with private discussions with the Council I pointed out as clearly as I could that the ‘elephant in the room’ is ocean rises due to Climate Change. But it is a rather like the ‘Inconvenient Truth’ : people listen, are stunned, yet do not even try to join up the dots to deduce what this means for any town planning scheme. Even at the EbD this key issue was virtually ignored in the final design concepts and most importantly, not addressed in the draft scheme LPS3, when it clearly is the single most important influence on our coastline development and beach amenity for the rest of this century and beyond.

Apart from ocean rises there are going to be even more serious threats to the beachfront, our culture and the business world that must be seen in the context of opening the doors to big developers to take over the beach front built environment. After 2035 the global population is now predicted to diminish dramatically till the end of the century. There only 25 years left of ‘boom’ times for this planet as energy sources are greatly degraded and changing life as we currently know it dramatically.

Proper Decision Making Process

Why is it not being dealt with? Why is all the argument concentrated on height and view of the beach, when the current location of the commercial zone will be overlooking sea walls by the end of the century? It make one wonder how fervent minds can be deluded by their own locked-in fears and perceived solutions. For what duration are we planning and designing the future commercial zone and foreshore?

What has not been clearly published in the papers is that I am not actually ‘anti-development’ at all. My firm Ecotect-Architects, worked hard as a paid consultant at the Enquiry by Design (EbD) to ensure that maximum development could be achieved, while at the same time serving the public interest for now and well into the future.

The Enquiry by Design Process

The process was well conducted by Andrew Jackson of the Town of Cottesloe to be able to influence a change in direction for Cottesloe within the proposed LPS3. What the people of Cottesloe and the wider general public need to understand is that the EbD was a guideline to framing the LPS3 as a draft.

I believe a lot more work by independent consultants, acting under the Authorities’ inputs and guidance, could have delivered the best planning rules and guidelines for developers, before it became law. At the same time it would have served the community interest. It appears that misguided advice by some public servants convinced the government that they could do better to serve the ‘big development’ lobby.

As we now know their efforts have produced results which are primitive, unprofessional and offending to most of the community. They do not incorporate sustainability in any way.

Overshadowing the beach

This EbD delivered community consultation as well as representation by the key landowners/developers of the two main sites in question: the Ocean Beach Hotel and the Cottesloe Beach Hotel. Unfortunately it seems that the powerful developer lobby has convinced the politicians that somehow the EbD was “orchestrated by community groups with a twisted view of what is good for the community”. Many community groups with varying opinions and the land owners along with their commissioned consultants, were given ample time to present their viewpoints during the process.

For those who did not contribute or attend the Enquiry by Design, my presentation is downloadable from here, to show clearly what all the government people, consultants, councillors and general public as well as community interest groups offered to the process. For those who did attend, perhaps you may like to refresh your memory

Where from here now?

Future For Cottesloe Foreshore Plans and the Beachfront

I believe that we need a credible sponsor for a select group of consultants, managed by Ecotect-Architects, to devise a developed concept and acceptable plan, from which proper 3D envelopes will establish what can actually work and serve the public interest and local residents. It needs a tick of approval by all parties. Some compromise may be needed. For sure the scheme is not even close to having served due process or any chance whatsoever of gaining public support.

This needs to be sponsored by an appropriate independent party to design a stage-by-stage solution that will serve as a guide to finalizing the LPS3 and future amendments as well as provide the solid principles for any future scheme in the future so the beach facility will be available to our children and grandchildren and their offspring.

What say you?

I know I am prepared to put some spadework in to make sure this happens.

Refer to my strategy plan presented to council in order to counter the objectionable submission that amends the LPS3.

Please be aware that although my presentation was involved in the Enquiry by Design, we were ‘conveniently’ left out of the final process and final drafting of the LPS3. The subject of ocean rises never made it to the table and was therefore ignored, as it was by the main planning consultants during the process.

Reference Documents

Cottesloe Solar and Shade Analysis 2004

Predicted Sea Level Change in WA 2009/10

Cottesloe 2011 Planning Scheme Review

Garry Baverstock’s Letter To the Town of Cottesloe Mayor

Regional Government

The secret to solar and renewable, as well as general sustainable and clean forms of energy, to be successfully introduced in this 21^st century is the effectiveness of policies and legislation of regional governments. One of the immediate concerns with inaction at this level will be the horrific damage that will be caused from ocean level rises. These are already happening and accelerating.

Throughout the planet, Climate Change due to the excessive use of fossil fuels is increasingly causing problems for our coastline developments. The key to solving and adapting to unwanted changes in sea levels is effective Regional Government.

All around the planet sea levels will raise by varying amounts and the reasons for this is the forces of gravity from the moon, the sun and large planet like Jupiter and the bulging of oceans at the equator (mainly due to the gravitational effects of the moon). Of course the moon caused tidal variations will create odd spasmodic changes in sea levels, never experienced by mankind before in the period that human kind has lived in earth. It will wreak havoc on all costal developments starting from 2020 onwards.

There is a wake up call for all governments (particularly in the developed world) to start taking into account sea rises for the next 100 years.

This will mean that some development will have to be demolished and moved inland and buffer zones created for all new developments (it goes without saying that they should be as carbon ‘neutral’ or ‘minus’ as possible).

Here are some papers that used Cottesloe Beach in Western Australia as a case in point:

Cottesloe Solar and Shade Analysis 2004

Predicted Sea Level Change in WA 2009/10

Cottesloe 2011 Planning Scheme Review

Garry Baverstock’s Letter To the Town of Cottesloe Mayor