Meeting papers

Challenges the Master Plan Must Address
                                            Foreshore                                    pedestrian                                ageing stormwater                                                                      loss of habitat &
  Foreshore erosion                                                                                                                                                          heat and comfort
                                            Inundation                                   experiences                               infrastructure                                                                         biodiversity

High tidal events, wind and wave          Tidal inundation is the abnormal             Pedestrian experiences are                The foreshore has twenty-nine             Urban Heat Islands (UHI) within the          The clearance of vegetation along
action, boat wash and foot traffic        rise of the sea level over normal            impacted by safety, heat, quality,        drainage outfalls and two open            foreshore make it uncomfortable              the foreshore post European
all cause erosion on the Noosaville       tide levels. Currently, inundation           and user conflicts.                       drainage channels to the river. In        when temperatures are high.                  settlement has impacted both
Foreshore. Erosion eats away at           impacts a number of low lying                                                          many cases these outlets along the        Current UHIs have been defined on            flora and fauna, with a loss of
beaches and sandy areas along             areas along the Noosaville                   The pathway hierarchy requires            foreshore are in poor condition,          the foreshore by areas of limited            biodiversity and habitat, and
the foreshore.                            Foreshore, most notably within               upgrade to meet standards for             blocked or buried. The stormwater         shade and tree canopy cover,                 reduced opportunities for fauna
                                          Chaplin Park and Lions Park as this          accessibility and shared use.             infrastructure is vulnerable to tidal     structures that block cooling                foraging and refuge.
Erosion has impacts on                    was once a swampy ground which               The foreshore in parts lack               inundation and backflows.                 breezes, and hard surfaces that
infrastructure, assets and                was filled to create what we have            wayfinding/legibility and requires                                                                                               Currently, the foreshore is a
                                                                                                                                                                           absorb and radiate heat.
vegetation. It creates level changes      today.                                       improvement. The pathway                  We have outlets in areas used                                                          less welcoming home for birds,
and presents public safety                                                             network is interrupted by vehicle         by swimmers and recreational              As a society we are much more                fish, reptiles, amphibians and
challenges.                               We know certain areas are                    crossovers and loading bays               watercrafts, exposing the river and       cognisant of health effects such             mammals. The loss of habitat and
                                          already more regularly inundated             and passes through parking and            users to pollution and harmful run-       as skin cancer and heat stress.              biodiversity degrades our natural
Heavily engineered solutions              than other areas. In areas with              maritime facilities creating safety       off after weather events.                 The characteristics of Urban Heat            and environmental values that
such as retaining and sea walls           expensive infrastructure such as             risks.                                                                              Islands (lack of shade, hot surfaces         underpins liveability and amenity
have been constructed in the              playgrounds, we need to think                                                          Inefficient and compromised
                                                                                                                                                                           and limited cooling breezes) and             on the foreshore.
past however are at the end of            longer term on how we manage                 Some segments of the pathways             outfalls can affect the stormwater
                                                                                                                                                                           the length of exposure to these
their life. Beach nourishment is          the impacts.                                 are exposed to increased heat due         network’s ability to function,                                                         Furthermore, research has shown
                                                                                                                                                                           characteristics may increase the
currently being undertaken by                                                          to their materiality and limited or no    potentially worsening flooding                                                         that access to natural areas of high
                                                                                                                                                                           risk of such heath effects.
Council, however more sustainable         Modelling shows that tidal                   tree canopy cover.                        and inundation. Both the river and                                                     biodiversity has a range of positive
and nature-based solutions are            inundation due to sea level rise is                                                    users of the river may experience                                                      health impacts for our community. 2
preferred to reduce the recurring         likely to increase in some areas of                                                    negative health effects as a result
cost and improve natural values.          the Noosaville Foreshore.                                                              of the polluted run-off.




                                          Figure 16. Low lying areas within Chaplin    Figure 17. Foreshore pathway users have   Figure 18. Some stormwater outlets have                                                Figure 20. The eastern foreshore of Gympie
Figure 15. Example of erosion impacting                                                                                                                                    Figure 19. The boat ramp is one of the hot
                                          Park are particularly susceptible to tidal   limited space between the boat ramp and   been impacted by blockage, reducing                                                    Terrace is one example of an area of limited
vegetation and collapsing the riverbank                                                                                                                                    spots identified along the foreshore
                                            inundation.                                  parking along Gympie Terrace              effectiveness.                                                                         biodiversity




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