2021-08-10 Planning & Environment Committee Meeting Agenda

PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                       10 AUGUST 2021


North Shore and Cooloola Wilderness, and whilst high intensity use may be appropriate on the
southern side of the river at Noosa Sound and Noosaville, it is not appropriate in this location.
Next Steps
Resolution of the long-standing issues associated with the Noosa North Shore Esplanade will require
a concerted program on behalf of Council including;
•     Consultation with adjacent residents on the issue and seek removal of vessels and smaller
      structures where appropriate, without environmental damage.
•     Prioritisation of Council resources to undertake compliance and clean-up activities.
•     Clean up of abandoned vessels, and in liaison with state agencies, removal of structures in
      intertidal areas. It can be expected that budget funding will be required to contribute to the
      clean up activity.
•     Planning and budgeting for site rehabilitation.
It is proposed to draft a Project Plan for clean-up of Noosa North Shore Esplanade, inclusive of
resident consultation, compliance program, clean up and rehabilitation program, and budget
allocation for further consideration of Council.
In the first instance it is recommended that Council write to adjacent landowners advising them of
the circumstances, reminding them of local law and planning controls, and Council’s intention to
commence planning a clean-up program.
In regard to potential recourse for unlawful structures on public land, it is the preliminary view of
Council staff that seeking action against an individual would prove problematic as the structures are
not directly secured to specific property to readily identify the offending party. It may be that
resources are better directed to cleaning up the situation.
It is noted that this initial focus is Noosa North Shore Esplanade, with consideration of other river
areas to be considered following attention to this priority area.

Previous Council Consideration
Nil

Finance
The proposed compliance and clean-up program outlined in this report will require future financial
commitment from Council but is as yet unquantified. A Project Plan will quantify the required budget
and timeframes for further consideration via a future budget review.

Risks & Opportunities
Residents in this locality are likely to be highly dissatisfied with the situation, despite the foreshore
being public land.
Residents in this location may also seek formalised public facilities including boat ramp / haul out
area and/or a public jetty. It is noted that such facilities would be guided by the local law and planning
provisions described earlier in this report. In addition, the adjacent river is Fish Habitat Area, and
any facilities that intrude into tidal areas would require Department of Agriculture and Fisheries
consideration and would appear to be inconsistent with Fish Habitat Area expectations.
There is an opportunity for quality rehabilitation of this foreshore, and supplementary funding can be
explored in the Project Plan.




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