2018-05-08 Services & Organisation Committee Agenda

SERVICES & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                    8 MAY 2018


3.   Permit Requirements

Council staff held a pre-lodgement meeting with the Department of Environment and Heritage
Protection (DEHP) on 27 July 2017 to discuss the possibility of recommencing dredging and
beach nourishment within the Noosa Spit area. These discussions included the possibility of
reinstating dredge permit EPPR00439413, for the area adjacent to the Noosa Spit which expired
on 26 May 2009. The desired outcome from this meeting was to seek an amendment to the
lapsed permit and modification of the dates applicable for nourishment in this area.

Recommencement of dredging was provisionally supported by DEHP, with advice that the
amendment process would take approximately 4 weeks and cost approximately $5,000 for the
approval.

If this amendment were successful Noosa Council would be able to dredge and place up to
100,000m3 of sand per year, well above current estimated requirements of approximately
40,000m3.

Council officers will proceed with obtaining a reinstatement of the dredge permit EPPR00439413
for potential future works in the area.

Previous Council Consideration
Ordinary Meeting, 17 August 2017, Item 4, Page 12
That Council note the report by the Project Officer to the Services & Organisation Committee
meeting dated 8 August 2017 providing an update on erosion at Noosa Dog Beach and request
staff seek expert advice on the management of this area into the future, with a further report to
come to Council once that advice has been received.

Finance
Preparation of a Shoreline Erosion Management Plan (SEMP) including bathymetry collection
would cost approximately $280,000. Council has a 2018/19 draft budget allocation for bathymetry
collection of $60,000 relating to the planning scheme development, with $220k currently
unallocated in the current or future budget.

Currently a grant application has been submitted for the natural Disaster Resilience Program
(NDRP) whereby 50% grant funding has been applied for. If successful, funding of $136k would
be received leaving a balance of $84k to be sourced from Council funds in the 2018/19 budget.

Risks & Opportunities
The risks of not undertaking a SEMP include:
1.    Attempts to address shoreline erosion may not be fully understood and optimised.
2.    Without guidance from a SEMP future mitigation solutions may not be the most effective or
      cost effective long term.
3.    Reputational damage, due to a perception of poor management. This view is currently
      reflected through complaints to Council staff about lack of action at the Noosa Spit and is
      expected to grow as this situation worsens.

The opportunities presented by undertaking the SEMP process are:
1.   Alignment with best practise coastal management techniques will improve our
     understanding of the lower estuary/ river mouth dynamics.
2.   The SEMP process will allow the investigation of options that are more effective and
     environmentally and financially sustainable.


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