There are major geographic differences between coastal environments in the Australian tropics and sub-tropics. The State of Queensland covers both of these environments but these distinctly different regions are not adequately recognised within the State’s coastal management policies. Instead a one size fits all approach has been adopted to cover issues such as coastal erosion and the formulation and mapping of coastal erosion prone areas. The northern half of the State is bordered on its eastern side by the Great Barrier Reef resulting in a generally low wave energy regime. In contrast the State’s southern half experiences much higher wave energy conditions. This along with the higher prevalence of tropical cyclones in northern Queensland result in different styles of coastal erosion between the two regions. Yet the State has adopted an approach for estimating coastal erosion originally developed for coasts bordering the North Sea. The recent mapping of coastal erosion prone areas and the relatively substantial number of private dwellings, tourism and infrastructure facilities that now fall within these zones might have legal and social implications in the future. Recognising and Incorporating these relative geographical differences would help to improve these policies and approaches to managing this extensive coast.