2017-04-11 Planning & Environment Committee Agenda

PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                              11 APRIL 2017


2                        SUBMISSION TO PROPOSAL BY ECO CAMP PTY LTD TO RECLASSIFY FISH HABITAT
                         AREA AT ELANDA POINT
Document i nformati on




Author                             Environment Officer (Rivers and Coast), Jan Maddin
                                   Planning & Infrastructure Department

Index                              ECM/ Subject / Waterways Management – Noosa River

Attachments                        1.   Proposal by Eco Camp Pty Ltd (26 Page attachment provided separately
                                        to this report)
                                   2.   Map of Noosa River declared Fish Habitat Areas
                                   3.   Proposed submission

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Not applicable.

RECOMMENDATION
That Council note the report by the Environment Officer (Rivers and Coast) to the Planning and
Environment Committee Meeting dated 11 April 2017 and request the Chief Executive Officer make
a submission, as outlined in Attachment 3 of the Report, to the Marine Resource Management
section of the Department of National Parks, Sport and Racing on the proposal by Eco Camp Pty
Ltd to request a downgrade of approximately 2.6 ha of declared Fish Habitat Area at Elanda Point
from a management A area to a management B area.

1.                        REPORT
On 14 March, 2017 Eco Camp Pty Ltd posted a public notice about their proposal to downgrade
approximately 2.6 ha of declared Fish Habitat Area at Elanda Point from a management A area to
a management B area.
The fish habitat downgrade will require an amendment to the Fisheries Regulation 2008 to allow
installation of private jetty infrastructure for Eco Camp’s proposed tourism operations at Elanda
Point Education Centre and Adventure Park.
Eco Camp intends to redevelop the Elanda Point site into a world class Eco Tourism facility and
states the installation of jetty infrastructure will assist to facilitate the delivery of quality tour services
into the Noosa Everglades by Sister Company, The Discovery Group.
Members of the public have been invited by Eco Camp Pty Ltd to provide written comment on this
proposal to the Marine Resource Management section of the Department of National Parks, Sport
and Racing by 5pm on 10 April, 2017.
Noosa Council has been granted an extension by the Department to the closing date for
submissions to enable the Eco Camp proposal and Council’s submission to be discussed and
determined by Council.
The closing date for Council’s submission is now 5pm on 21 April, 2017.
The purpose of this report is to provide an overview of the declared fish habitat areas in the Noosa
River, the types of development the State considers appropriate in fish habitat areas, and a
submission for Council’s consideration to the Eco Camp proposal.
2.                        DECLARED FISH HABITAT AREAS (FHA)
The Queensland Government declared FHA network protects fish habitat values to support the
region’s commercial and recreational fisheries. These areas are highly productive estuarine and
coastal fish habitats, declared and mapped as a management layer under the Fisheries Act 1994.


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