This paper presents a series of examples of ways to incorporate nature positive concept to foreshore remediation designs in Shoalhaven Region, New South Wales (NSW). Site assessment and options development was undertaken across multiple foreshore sites. The overall assessment integrates site assessment, technical analysis, and design workshops to develop feasible, cost‑effective, and environmentally responsible remediation concepts tailored to each location.
Nature positive concepts are emphasised as first‑preference interventions consistent with NSW Coastal Design Guidelines. Approaches such as vegetation management, mangrove and saltmarsh establishment, environmentally friendly seawalls, and oyster reefs provide long‑term erosion control by working with natural processes. These strategies stabilise foreshore banks through root reinforcement, wave attenuation, sediment capture, and habitat creation, while delivering co‑benefits including improved water quality, biodiversity enhancement, and reduced maintenance requirements.
Across the project sites, vegetation management and no‑mow zones were repeatedly identified as the most cost‑effective and community‑compatible measures. Where space is available, riparian buffer zone expansion is also recommended. Where erosion pressures are higher, hybrid solutions combining rock beaching, rock fillets, or cobble beaches with riparian revegetation were recommended. Oyster reefs, mangrove planting, and saltmarsh benches offer further opportunities for living shoreline outcomes where ecological conditions allow.
Giving priority to practical, environmentally sensitive solutions that balance erosion mitigation, ecological enhancement, community use, and budget constraints, can provide a clear pathway toward resilient and nature‑positive shoreline management in foreshore environment.