2019-02-18 GC Agenda Att 1 to Item 8 - Draft Environment Strategy

Strategy 3: Waterways and coasts are managed to protect
environmental values while enabling sustainable public access,
recreation and commercial use
Target: By 2030, Noosa has sustainable fisheries and increased opportunity for recreational
fishing.

Noosa’s waterways and beaches are a major attraction for visitors and residents. Visitors are
particularly drawn to Noosa Main Beach, the stretch of beaches from Sunshine to Peregian Beach,
Noosa National Park, Noosaville foreshore, Noosa North Shore and the Great Sandy National
Park. Large numbers of visitors flock to beaches and waterways during school holidays and on
weekends.

High levels of visitation can place significant pressure on foreshores which provide a buffer against
erosion and protect coastal communities. Indiscriminate access by pedestrians, as well as 4WDs
driving on intertidal areas, can cause erosion and environmental damage which can be difficult to
repair. Not addressing these factors is likely to undermine the resilience of foreshores to climate
change-driven rises in sea level and extreme weather events.

A focus for the Environment Strategy is to continue to protect our important waterways and
foreshores but still allow access for recreation and commercial activities where this can be
demonstrated to be environmentally sustainable over the long term. This requires a range of
measures including:
     adequate separation and vegetated buffers between development and active erosion zones
     managing the type and intensity of recreational and commercial uses to ensure they are
       compatible with environmental and amenity values
     ensuring commercial activities do not proliferate into public areas and adhere to
       environmental standards
     controlled access to foreshores through fencing, signage and regulation
     protection and rehabilitation of dunes, intertidal areas and riparian vegetation
     minimising and management of encroachments onto dunal systems that impact vegetation
       and cause erosion
     collaboration with community groups to protect and manage waterway health.

Conservation of coastal areas is complicated by the range of different land managers involved.
Council will engage, partner with, and advocate for better outcomes in coastal areas, which are not
always within its direct responsibility.




Noosa Shire Environment Strategy                                                             Page 26