Evidence and references

Dam Kings Beach is committed to an evidence-based approach. The sources below are referred to across this website and in our project documents. Numbered citations on other pages link here.

Beach porewater and coastal groundwater

The movement of seawater and groundwater through beach sand, and its discharge to the ocean, is well documented.

1. Moore WS (1999). The subterranean estuary: a reaction zone of ground water and sea water. Marine Chemistry 65: 111–125. doi.org/10.1016/S0304-4203(99)00014-6

   Relevance: Describes the “subterranean estuary”, the zone beneath the coast where groundwater and seawater mix before discharging to the coastal ocean.

2. Robinson C, Li L, Barry DA (2007). Effect of tidal forcing on a subterranean estuary. Advances in Water Resources 30: 851–865. doi.org/10.1016/j.advwatres.2006.07.006

   Relevance: Shows how tides drive seawater to circulate through the beach and back out to sea.

3. Santos IR, Eyre BD, Huettel M (2012). The driving forces of porewater and groundwater flow in permeable coastal sediments: A review. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 98: 1–15. doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2011.10.024

   Relevance: Reviews the forces, including tides and waves, that move water through permeable coastal sediments such as beach sand.

Ocean salinity

Ocean salinity is not fixed, and salt reaches the ocean from land.

4. Durack PJ, Wijffels SE, Matear RJ (2012). Ocean salinities reveal strong global water cycle intensification during 1950 to 2000. Science 336: 455–458. doi.org/10.1126/science.1212222

   Relevance: Finds that ocean salinity patterns changed measurably between 1950 and 2000, with salty regions becoming saltier.

5. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Ocean Service. Why is the ocean salty? oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/whysalty.html

   Relevance: Explains that salt in the ocean comes in part from land, carried to the sea by water.

6. U.S. Geological Survey, Water Science School. Why is the ocean salty? www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school/science/why-ocean-salty

   Relevance: Background on the sources of salt in the ocean.

The precautionary principle

Lack of full scientific certainty should not be a reason to postpone measures to prevent environmental degradation.

7. Protection of the Environment Administration Act 1991 (NSW), section 6(2)(a). legislation.nsw.gov.au/view/whole/html/inforce/current/act-1991-060

   Relevance: Defines the precautionary principle in NSW law: “if there are threats of serious or irreversible environmental damage, lack of full scientific certainty should not be used as a reason for postponing measures to prevent environmental degradation.”

8. United Nations (1992). Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, Principle 15. www.un.org/en/conferences/environment/rio1992

   Relevance: The international statement of the precautionary approach, adopted at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development.

Coastal management and planning

The legislative and policy framework that we expect to apply to the proposal.

9. Coastal Management Act 2016 (NSW). legislation.nsw.gov.au/view/whole/html/inforce/current/act-2016-020

   Relevance: Sets the framework for managing the NSW coastal environment in line with the principles of ecologically sustainable development.

10. Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (NSW). legislation.nsw.gov.au/view/whole/html/inforce/current/act-1979-203

    Relevance: The NSW law under which environmental impact assessment of proposed development is carried out.

11. Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth). www.legislation.gov.au/C2004A00485/latest/text

    Relevance: Australia's national environmental law, covering matters of national environmental significance including listed threatened and migratory species.

12. NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. Coasts. www.environment.nsw.gov.au/topics/water/coasts

    Relevance: NSW Government information on coastal management.