2016-09-06 - Planning & Environment Committee Agenda

PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                      6 SEPTEMBER 2016


The Management Plan does propose a safety fence around the Tinaroo Place playground, a
netball hoop at the basketball court and additional bench seating at the Palm Grove and
Lomandra play areas, subject to available funding. The Plan also proposes investigating the
adequacy of wheelchair/disabled access to the parks.
10.    Dog controls
Some residents do not want dogs in the parks whilst others want all areas to be off leash. Council
has previously undergone a public consultation process on dog leash/off leash areas and
therefore any potential changes to dog controls in Noosa Parklands are not considered in the
Plan. Consideration of enclosed dog off-leash areas will be considered as part of an overall
review of such facilities across the Shire area, prior to next year’s budget deliberations.
11.    Salvinia weed in lagoon
Salvinia molesta has infested the Heritage Park lagoon and has also spread downstream.
Salvinia is a weed of national significance and can only be controlled when in very small
infestations. The Department of Environment and Heritage advise that ‘eradication is rarely
achievable’. It grows rapidly in fresh water but cannot tolerate salt water. A number of residents
want the Salvinia controlled for amenity and perceived safety reasons and would like the lagoon
to return to its original condition. To keep the lagoon infestation ‘down’ would require regular and
expensive maintenance. Note that maintaining the lagoon will not stop the spread of Salvinia
downstream.
Table 1 below summarise the various control methods.
Method               Possibility of success      Impacts               Costs
                     in reducing extent of                             Low <$5000 per year
                     biomass                                           Medium $5000-$10,000 per year
                                                                       High >$10,000 per year
Biological           NIL in Heritage Park        Low                   Low
control              lagoon.
                     Has already been tried
                     and failed because too
                     shady.
Mechanical           Low.                        High                  High
excavation and       There must be an            Particularly on       With disposal costs and follow up
draining of          upstream source and         aquatic species,      rigorous monitoring program
lagoon               one small leaf will cause   frogs and potential
                     re-infestation.             release of sediment
                                                 into waterways.
Spraying             High                        Medium                Medium
                     Requires successive         Potential impact on   Would require spray treatment every
                     treatments.                 aquatic species,      two months.
                                                 frogs. Dead
                                                 biomass likely to
                                                 cause steep decline
                                                 on dissolved
                                                 oxygen which can
                                                 lead to fish and
                                                 other aquatic fauna
                                                 deaths.
Mechanical           High                        Low                   High
removal              Requires successive         Some non-target       Previous treatments with nets were
(nets, pumps,        treatments                  species may get       $6000 per treatment (approximate
hand removal)                                    caught in nets.       cost $20,000 per year)
Table 1 Salvinia control options.




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