Keeping Noosa Natural

Noosa Parks Association,

is proud to announce the release of a new DVD

Noosa Parks Association was established in 1962 and is today the Noosa region's largest community group.  This DVD tells part of the group's history: its battle to secure the Noosa National Park and also to prevent over-development of the Noosa Shire.

With superb aerial footage, spectacular scenery and stunning wildlife images, Keeping Noosa Natural is a feast for the eyes.  But the film is more than just a showcase for our splendid neck-of-the-woods, it is also a homage to those who helped make Noosa special.

We hope that the DVD will be enjoyed by both locals and visitors to our region.

Over half of the old Noosa Shire is currently protected against human development.  The headland section of the Noosa National Park is one of the most visited national parks in Australia, and certainly a key drawcard for tourists.  What many people don't realise is that much of the headland was once earmarked for development, including a roadway right around the foreshore.  It was thanks to the enormous efforts of Noosa Parks Association's pioneers that Noosa didn't end up like other coastal resorts, with massive high rise buildings and urban development right around the coastline.

WATERWAYS AND COASTAL MANAGEMENT DISCUSSION PAPER

OCTOBER 2009

SUBMISSION FROM NOOSA PARKS ASSOCIATION INC

PREAMBLE

The above Discussion Paper is the first step in the development of a Waterways and Coastal Foreshores Strategy for the Sunshine Coast.  The Noosa Parks Association is glad of the opportunity to provide feedback to help guide the strategy's development.  It is proposed by Council that a Draft of the Strategy will be available for further comment in early 2010 with finalisation in late 2010.

The Noosa Parks Association will offer comments on the management issues as they affect the whole of the sunshine coast, but with special reference to the Noosa River and Noosa coastline, as the Association primarily concerns itself with the Noosa area.

1.         OVERVIEW

Our Association fully endorses the concept that should be paramount in all of the new Planning Scheme – the crucial issue of "carrying capacity" for the Sunshine Coast.  The Council area will be under enormous pressure from the State Government to expand its population, so that extreme care needs to be taken not to erode the quality of its natural, social and economic capital. 

In particular, rapid population growth together with climate change have the potential to seriously degrade our waterways and coastal foreshores.  The Healthy Waterways Report Card grades for the Sunshine Coast's fresh and estuarine waters in the current 2009 year already show a slight downward trend overall, and this trend needs to be reversed. 

It is, therefore, very encouraging to see that the Sunshine Coast Regional Council (SCRC) is so committed to the effective management of these natural assets that they are accorded a high priority in the Corporate Plan.

2.         VALUES

The fact that the Sunshine Coast community is very passionate about the state of its waterways and coastal foreshores will undoubtedly promote a more positive future for the environmental protection.  This valuable body of enthusiastic awareness should be nurtured and encouraged and given funding assistance wherever possible.

This community spirit is still alive and well as demonstrated by the very successful flotilla of about 200 boats on the Noosa River on 21 November to protest the neglected state of the river.  This followed a well attended Noosa River Forum organised by the Residents and Ratepayers Association on 16 November to discuss the problems that were not being addressed by the stakeholders.

Starting with the vision of the founders of the Noosa Parks Association in the early 1960s and the formation of the Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland at the other end of the coast in Caloundra, many community groups across the Sunshine Coast have contributed to the outstanding outcomes we have today.  In fact, without the long hard-fought campaigns by Noosa Parks Association for the extensive stretch of Noosa National Parks now in the Noosa Biosphere, there would probably not have been a Noosa Biosphere at all.

Further work by Noosa Parks Association has been directed towards having the Cooloola Section of the Great Sandy National Park declared a World Heritage Area which is expected to be announced in the near future.  Our Association would like clarification as to whether the two listings for Wetlands of National Importance in the Noosa River system which are said to have world heritage values (see 2.1 p14) will be included in the World Heritage listing?  And could they be more closely pinpointed?

Noosa Parks Association applauds the section 2.1 on Environmental Values and supports any measures to protect and enhance these values of freshwater fauna, riparian vegetation, wetland communities, seagrass, mangroves and coastal dune/wallum vegetation across the whole of the Sunshine Coast.

Social and cultural values and economic values are, of course, all very important and all are interrelated, but underpinning them all are the environmental values which need to be not only maintained but improved.  It is very important that the pressure of population does not lead to damaging levels of recreation and economic activity.  These are not always easy to investigate or quantify.  For example, despite several attempts, it has not been possible to determine a sustainable level of commercial fishing in the Noosa River, due to the small number of operators triggering commercial in confidence barriers.

3.         KEY CHALLENGES

There are certainly key challenges ahead to even preserving the environmental values present today across the Sunshine coast in the waterways and coastal foreshores.  Not only is the population undergoing rapid expansion, but there is a constant drive for increased numbers of tourists, as well as the evolving impacts expected from climate change.

South East Queensland Healthy Waterways Partnership has highlighted urban runoff, rural runoff and waste water discharge associated with population growth as major reasons in declining waterway health across South East Queensland. Climate change brings added threats of saltwater intrusion, inundation and bank erosion which points up the importance of riparian rehabilitation along all of the waterways and coastal foreshores where even now bank erosion is already a major problem.

A case in point is a DREDGING APPROAL issued to Council on 7^th August 2009 for a channel to be deepened at the north end of Lake Cootharaba on the Noosa River because of siltation from flooding impeding access by a large commercial tour boat.  This was a cause of major concern to the Noosa Integrated Catchment Association and Noosa Parks Association, as the ecological and hydrological balance of this river system is highly sensitive to change.

The proposed dredging of the channel to a depth of one metre below LAT would have made it much deeper than it was before and would also involve the removal and disturbance of acid sulphate soil from the existing lake bed.  As is well know, the best technique for managing acid sulphate soils is to avoid disturbance, and they need to be very carefully managed in estuarine areas with its potential for fish kills and degradation of aquatic habitat.  Fish kills occurred in the past at Tronson's Canal where it empties into the Noosa River between Lake Cootharaba and Lake Cooroibah when sugar cane was grown there as a result of disturbance of the acid sulphate soils.

A long held scientific consensus has warned that deepening of the channels will change the hydraulic system of fresh and salt water exchange on account of the extremely flat gradient of the tidal flow which now reaches the north end of Lake Cootharaba.  A system of rigorous scientific and engineering studies together with modelling needs to be in place for any future dredging proposals in the Noosa River.  It is suggested that great care should be taken along the shorelines throughout the Sunshine Coast when acid sulphate soils are encountered.

With regard to the Sunshine Coast coastline, the development of a coastal management plan and shoreline erosion management plan is certainly supported.  It is of concern, however, that no particular mention has been made in the Discussion Paper of the NOOSA NORTH SHORE section of the Sunshine Coast coastline which extends from the Noosa River Estuary north to Teewah Village and had particular problems that need to be addressed.  The beach accessed from about four entry points is currently a designated roadway which seriously conflicts with passive recreation and also the important bird habitat for shore and migratory birds at the river mouth and estuary.

This section has formed part of the proposed Cooloola Recreation Area Management Plan, the Regulatory Impact Statement for which went out for public comment with submissions closing on 7^th September 2009.  It is extremely important to better manage the increasing number of vehicles using the beach and to close some areas to vehicles altogether.  The sections recommended for closure are between the 1^st and 3^rd cuttings for recreation purposes such as beach fishing and children paddling, and from the 1^st cutting to the river mouth to allow the shorebirds to nest in peace and the migratory birds to rest and recuperate. 

4.         BUILDING ON ACHIEVEMENTS

Much has been accomplished already and it is very important to keep these invaluable community resources supported and encouraged.  Continuity is vital, as is a feeling of community ownership.

The Noosa River Plan (2004), a very long time in gestation, had a successful career for a while, but was "laid off" just prior to council amalgamation before its work was completed.  It is promised that management of the river is to be reinstated in the near future, although it is to be restructured to cover the whole of the Sunshine Coast and perhaps even Moreton Bay.  Effective, cooperative and proactive management of the waterways by the various stakeholders MUST be ongoing and continuous, and regular reporting and benchmarking of the state of the waterways is an invaluable tool.

5.         A FRAMEWORK FOR THE FUTURE

The Overarching Management Goals and Management Principles are well thought through and appropriate.  When it comes to Goals for Different Waterways, the Goal for the Noosa River described as "Maintenance" does not go far enough.  There should always be striving for "Improvement".

Where Coastal Foreshores are concerned, Noosa North Shore requires urgent action for the implementation of the Recreation Area Management Plan now being considered by the State Government's Department of Environment and Resource Management.

Appendix 1 – Catchments at a Glance

Under Key Challenges for the Noosa River more needs to be done than just "maintain" protective native vegetation – substitute "ameliorate".  For the Coastal Foreshores, the Key Challenges should include a management plan for the Noosa North Shore and protection for the shorebird and migratory bird habitat.

It is realised that the loss of local knowledge is one of the hazards of council amalgamations, but it was very disappointing that Noosa Parks Association was not listed with the Community Groups under either Noosa River Catchment or Coastal Foreshores.  This Association has been the leading community group in the north end of the Sunshine coast for nearly 50 years with a proud history of conservation achievement, presently 1500 membership.

SUMMARY

Overall this is an excellent document and the staff members involved are to be congratulated.  As a last comment it would lend added weight to the Vision if it were to be changed as follows:  "The Sunshine Coast Waterways and Coastal Foreshores are healthy and sustainably managed assets that enrich and underpin our livelihoods and lifestyles".

Submission by Noosa Parks Association Inc

to the Department of Environment and Resource

Management on the proposed declaration of a Cooloola Recreation Area

August 2009

Noosa Parks Association Inc welcomes the government's initiative in seeking to introduce stronger management controls over Cooloola by amending the Recreation Areas Management Regulation 2007 to include the proposed Cooloola Recreation Area.

NPA agrees with the discussion and conclusions outlined in the Regulatory Impact Statement for the proposed Cooloola Recreation Area 2009, subject to some minor refinements as outlined below.

1.         Extension of the boundaries of the proposed Cooloola Recreation Area 

            (CRA)

The Cooloola Recreation Area should be defined in a manner that allows

automatic inclusion of all future additions to the Cooloola Section of the Great Sandy National Park, without the need for further amendments to the CRA's declaration. With further extensions to the national park imminent on Noosa North Shore, at Rainbow Beach and at Tin Can Bay, such a provision will assist integrated park management in the future.

The entire length of beach between the mouth of the Noosa River and Middle Rocks at Rainbow Beach should be included in the CRA. The current proposal of not including the beach south of first cutting on Noosa North Shore risks concentrating unregulated and environmentally unacceptable impacts in arguably the most sensitive part of Teewah Beach.

Similarly, from the river mouth to Lake Cooroibah, the public esplanades on the

northern bank of the Noosa River and adjacent inter-tidal zones should be included in the CRA. Additionally, all the islands and sand islets in the Noosa River estuary, as well as the sandbanks that dry at low tides, should be included in the CRA. These inclusions can enable responsible management of recreational impacts on important bird habitat.

2.         Extension of beach closures to vehicles

2.1 In addition to the proposed beach closure to vehicles between first and third cuttings on Noosa North Shore, the beach should be closed to vehicles:

i) between first cutting and the mouth of the Noosa River, ii) at the eastern extremity of Rainbow Beach.

2.2 Closure of the beach to vehicles between the river mouth and first cutting will provide further necessary protection to bird habitat, and provide a vehicle free and tranquil destination for proposed Noosa North Shore walking trails. Existing formed roads provide opportunities for two and four wheel drive vehicles to access parking areas within easy walking distance to the river mouth and the beach running north from it, without requiring vehicles to drive on the beach between first cutting and the river mouth.

2.3 If the closure sought above is rejected, NPA seeks closure of the beach to vehicles between the river mouth and the fishing boundary (FB) sign where the Frying Pan Track terminates at Teewah Beach.  

2.4 Closure of the eastern most part of Rainbow Beach to vehicles, as canvassed in the Cooloola Future Directions document, is necessary if a safe and vehicle-free family beach is to be realised in this most delightful section of Rainbow Beach.  

3.         Extension of proposed Vehicle Access Permit (VAP) Area on Teewah 

            Beach.

3.1 The VAP Area should include all beach areas open to vehicles from Middle Rocks at Rainbow Beach southwards to the Noosa North Shore.  This will prevent an environmentally destructive concentration of 'free drive' vehicles on beach sections south of Teewah Village.

3.2 If the beach is closed to vehicles between the river mouth and third cutting, then the VAP Area should be extended southward from Teewah Village to third cutting.

3.3 If the beach remains open to vehicles south of first cutting, then the VAP Area should be extended southward to third cutting, then recommence southward of first cutting.

4.         Vehicle Access Permit Fees

4.1 NPA supports the introduction of Vehicle Access Permits.

4.2 NPA supports the proposed three consecutive day fee of $25, the one month fee

of $38.25, and the annual fee of $191.50. NPA is strongly opposed to an 'any three day' permit.

4.3 If, as is being suggested in some quarters, a one day fee is to be introduced, NPA would be supportive of this, providing that it is set at $12.50 to $15 per day.  

 5.         Dogs, camels and horses in Vehicle Access Permit Areas

5.1 NPA opposes dogs, horses and camels being allowed on the beach between first cutting and the mouth of the Noosa River, whether the beach south of first cutting becomes closed to vehicles, or is added to the VAP Area. Bird habitat protection must be the management priority in this area.

5.2 NPA reluctantly supports allowing dogs, horses and camels on the beach between first cutting and Teewah Village. This is to provide a 'dog on beach' opportunity for 'vehicle on beach' and 'vehicle off beach' day visitors and Teewah Village residents, as well providing opportunity for existing commercial horse and camel tour operators with a valid licence. 

5.3 NPA strongly opposes allowing any dogs, horses or camels being allowed on the beach anywhere between Teewah Village and Middle Rocks at Rainbow Beach.