We want everyone to be able to enjoy our coastline. This Draft Coastal Access Strategy is the first of its kind in Tasmania and sets a 10-year plan to make it easier and safer to reach and enjoy Clarence’s coastline.

During our Phase 1 consultation in 2024, you told us what would make our coasts more accessible. Now, we want to give everyone a chance to review the Draft Strategy and let us know if we've captured your needs.

At this stage, we've used your feedback to write the Draft, so most of what you read in the Strategy won't change. However, your voice will influence how we advocate for and meet your accessibility needs in future projects and strategies.

The Coastal Access Strategy is our plan to make it easier and safer to reach the coast across Clarence. It builds a framework to help deliver a range of ways for residents and visitors to get to the beach and enjoy the scenery.

It's a 10-year plan for how City of Clarence plans, advocates for, delivers and maintains inclusive access along Clarence’s 191 km coastline. It covers beaches, rocky foreshores, urban esplanades and tracks.

It sets objectives to: classify sites, identify constraints and opportunities, guide design, inform priorities, and advocate with other land managers.

It includes site opportunities across Council-managed locations and suggested advocacy items for other areas.

Click here to read more about classification ratings and what they mean.

• It is not a list of approved works or automatic upgrades.
• It is not a change to planning rules, dog management or vehicle access policy.
• It is not a funding guarantee. It sets priorities and helps advocate for grants and partnerships.
• It does not override environmental, coastal process or cultural heritage constraints.

Clarence’s coast is central to daily life and tourism, and the community has asked us to make beaches easier to reach for everyone. This Strategy turns that direction into a practical framework. It sets clear classifications and design guidance so future projects are consistent, safe and durable, and it gives us a transparent way to set priorities and advocate for funding. It also clarifies roles across City of Clarence, Crown and private land so we can deliver where we manage the land and partner or advocate for you where we do not.

People most want new or improved amenities, then paths, ramps, car parking, and stairs. Walking or wheeling on the beach is the top activity, followed by swimming and enjoying the view. Many visitors bring prams, trolleys and mobility aids, so access improvements benefit lots of users.

Currently, this Strategy is still a Draft and is yet to be adopted by the Council. While many parts of it can't be changed, your voice will influence what we advocate to be included when new projects and upgrades are considered.

We want to make our coasts accessible for everyone in Clarence, however, every beach can't be made into a T1 beach without destroying why we love it in the first place. What we can do, is consider your specific accessibility needs for other coastal sites.

Your voice is critical. If we don't know what you need, we can't advocate effectively for you. So, click the link below and have your say.

Your responses can influence the following things:

• What classification a beach or coastal area is given
• What accessibility features are considered for a beach or coastal area

We want to hear from you in the way that works best for you. Here's how you can contact us: