The Coastal Management Framework in New South Wales: A Battle between Science, Law and Politics

Despite the irrefutable reality that our coastlines are changing, there is a substantial roadblock in the uptake of climate and coastal science in the policy and legal spheres. An analysis of first principles in this article shows that it is not "the government" or "politicians" who are solely to blame for the poor uptake, but rather every member of society is personally responsible and accountable for correcting misperceptions of science to account for all its imperfection and uncertainty. There is no doubt that there is widespread fatigue and apathy towards the "inconvenient truths" of climate change. This article explores through analysis of the Coastal Management Framework in New South Wales, the importance of a reformation of our understanding of science. Breaking down any pre-conceived misperceptions through redefining "science" is critical in removing any roadblocks in the way of climate and coastal science uptake.