Coastal Lake Assessment and Management Tool (CLAM): Lake Cathie / Innes, Port Macquarie - Hastings Council

The Coastal Lake Assessment and Management (CLAM) tool allows stakeholders to assess the social, economic and environmental trade-offs associated with development, remediation and use options for coastal lakes and estuaries. Researchers at the Australian National University (ANU) developed CLAM in 2004 when contracted by the NSW State Government to provide sustainability assessments of 8 coastal lakes. Several projects have since been established directly with local government and NRM groups.

To date, 27 CLAMs have been developed in New South Wales, where they generally fit within estuary management or catchment management plans. To develop these CLAMs and build local capacity to maintain them, ANU-Enterprise Pty Ltd - the commercial company of ANU developed an Accreditation Scheme whereby local consultants are trained in the CLAM approach.