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Introduction

The term 'sea change' has been used to describe the phenomenon of increasing settlement of the Australian coast , particularly those areas outside the primary urban metropolitan centres. What is occurring can more accurately be referred to as the suburbanisation of the Australian coast, where many coastal settlements are replicating low-density suburban forms. In this sense, it can be seen as a ‘non‑urban’ urbanisation process—that is, the suburbanisation of coastal rural localities that in the past have been low-key holiday destinations, rather than a process of re-urbanisation of an existing metropolis. Another dimension of the ‘sea-change’ phenomenon is the population growth in high amenity, non-metropolitan, coastal environs; these might not represent suburban form, but nonetheless represent a transition towards smaller land parcels as urban ‘lifestyle refugees’ move to amenity acreages.

Australia’s coastal regions continue to undergo transition as traditional land uses  decline and new land uses evolve. Many regions have changed from quiet rural coastal communities with declining agricultural or industrial sectors into popular tourist localities and, in some cases, have grown into large urban or suburban settlements. Other regions have also changed because of easy commuting distances to major cities.

Coastal tourism and retirement to the coast are not new phenomena. Generations ago, a coastal holiday was a regular annual event for many families, and those who could afford to retired to the coast. It was common for many retirees from Sydney to move to the New South Wales Central Coast, or those from Canberra to move to Bateman’s Bay. Increasing affluence, technology and infrastructure has led to even greater mobility (for example, both car and air travel have become the norm), and recreational expectations and dwelling expectations have also risen. In urban areas, this is seen in a trend of fewer people in each dwelling, while the size of dwellings is increasing. What applies in traditional urban areas also applies to those locations where people recreate and retire.

The suburbanisation of the coast is now widely recognised as an emerging, if not already emerged, feature of Australia. Population trends indicate that over the last 100 years, the majority of Australia’s population shifted from the bush (rural inland Australia) to the suburbs of the capital cities, with a more recent shift towards the suburbanisation of the coast. What are the pressures that result from these trends? The state of the coast in response to these pressures has not been adequately assessed, and is likely to be variable depending on a range of anthropogenic and natural factors. Are there any reasonable assumptions that can be made about the state of the coast in response to the pressures? Responses to the ‘sea change’ phenomenon are also varied, although all tiers of government have acknowledged some of the problems associated with the phenomenon. What have been the responses to the suburbanisation of the coast? Lastly, what are the implications for the future?

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