KILLER COASTAL DEVELOPMENT
Building homes, creating industries that bring jobs into coastal regions, the local watering hole getting a facelift after a white-shoed property developer who loves to surf buys out the heir to the recently departed publicans empire - every local loves killer development that makes their hometown better. But sometimes, developers and industrialists roll into a community with an idea that’s, well, kinda kookin it…
None of us want what makes our coastal towns special to be destroyed by greed and ideas of development that don’t stack up.
Housing developments based on zombie DA’s local communities never knew existed and which don’t pass the planning pub test of today regarding environmental impact and climate change. Mining operations close to the coast that risk the air locals breathe and destroy roads and scenery because there’s big industry suddenly in town. Resorts proposed in sensitive environments that don’t have the infrastructure to deal with more kooks, sorry, visitors paddling out…
The Killer Coastal Development pillar of our work is all about supporting the campaigns on the coal face (we really need another metaphor…) fighting the good fight for the environment. Campaigns that recognise a real threat and which aren’t taking the BANANA position (Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anything) but wanting to protect the environment and take action on climate, so that future generations of local frothers can enjoy what they had as groms.
Our first focus area of this work is Zombie Developments in places like Manyana in NSW. What’s this all about? Have a read.
Burying Zombie DAs For Good
Across NSW and around the country, outdated coastal developments, known as Zombie DAs, are threatening our beaches, communities, and climate.
These are development approvals granted decades ago, sometimes 50 years back, that were never built but still considered “active.” Because of outdated planning loopholes, these projects can still go ahead without current environmental or climate assessments, and often without any community input.
They include massive coastal subdivisions, resorts, and high-impact projects in places where we now know better. Many were approved before we understood erosion risks, sea-level rise, or the importance of protecting natural buffers like wetlands and coastal dunes.
Letting these projects rise again would be like ignoring a storm warning today because someone approved your surf trip in 1975.
What We’re Calling For
Our coastlines aren’t just beautiful, they’re alive. They protect our homes, power local economies, and provide the waves and wild spaces that connect us to nature.
Zombie DAs threaten everything we love about these places. Building outdated, high-emissions developments without any climate assessment is wildly out of step with the science. In a climate crisis, we need resilient, low-carbon, nature-based planning, not more concrete on crumbling coastlines.
This campaign shows what happens when coastal communities stand up for the places they love. Together, we’ve helped expose these undead approvals and push for change in how coastal development is managed. It’s a reminder that when we act fast and work together, we can turn frustration into protection.
Let's finally lay these undead to rest, we’re calling on governments to:
Require all outdated approvals to be re-lodged and reassessed under current environmental, climate, and planning standards.
Ensure full transparency and public consultation on any project revived from old approvals.
Close the loopholes that allow dormant developments to keep rising from the past.
Become A Zombie Killer
Every surfer and coastal local has a stake in this fight. By protecting our beaches from outdated developments, we’re protecting the places we love and everyone who cares for and relies on them.