2021-01-18 GC - Item 2 - Attachment 3 - Consultation Report River Plan Version 2 (2019-20)

                           -    Plan is unclear as to whether it is addressing all coastal areas, just the North Shore or just the Noosa River noting that turtles only occasionally enter the
                                Noosa River.
                           -    Action required
                           -    Plan should be revised to ensure a consistent approach and either, remove reference to individual marine species; or provide a comprehensive
                                assessment of all relevant species.
                           -    Plan should provide a risk assessment of species and physical risks to human users and provide appropriate recommendations.

Noosa Jetty           References to marine turtles totally 2 pages Objective 2 (as per comments above with changes or additions)
Builders,                 -    Plan gives disproportionate consideration of turtles compared to any other marine species at risk.
Noosaville Business       -    Plan fails to assess other growing or declining marine species, account for reported growth in bull shark and stone fish populations, address shark netting
Association, Noosa             practices in Laguna Bay (which is included for some things but not others).
Commercial                -    As turtles only occasionally enter the Noosa River, and are a coastal species with only rare sightings of egg laying on adjacent beaches, the relative priority
Boatman’s                      given to the species in the draft Plan seems unbalanced.
Association               -    It is also noted that despite this significant discussion, no specific actions are proposed to assist this (or any other) species.
                          -    Action required by Council
                          -    Plan should be revised to balance reference to any one individual marine species and provide a comprehensive assessment of all relevant species.
                          -    Focus on marine turtles is inappropriately weighted.
                          -    Plan should provide a risk assessment of species and physical risks to human users and provide appropriate recommendations.

Boating Industry      The Draft River Plan refers on p.28 to ‘boat strike’ and the fact that ‘records indicate that an order of magnitude of 50-100 turtles are killed annually form interaction
Association (BIA)     with vessels in Queensland. It says the majority of these occur ‘adjacent to cities and ports’.
                           -    BIA would ask that this context be better represented in the final Plan.
                           -    Queensland has almost 7000km of coastline and there is no ‘city’ or ‘port’ at Noosa.
                           -    To make any sense of this statement in the context of the Plan, Council must refer to relevant local data for the Noosa estuary where the Plan has effect.
                           -    To do otherwise is to mislead the public on this matter.
                           -    Especially where on p.29 there is a call for ‘go slow’ campaigns to respond to ‘boat strikes’.
                           -    It would seem more appropriate to put energy into controls (education, regulation, compliance) around vehicles and camping on beaches in order to care
                                for breeding turtles.

Private               Taxpayers' money should NOT be spent on useless biodiversity projects such as the involving oyster bags. Our money should be spent on eliminating
                          -   sediment run-off from the Kin Kin Creek & its surrounding properties
                          -   pesticides & fertilizers entering our waterway, even if it means reclaiming land from private owners that refuse to co-operate.
                          -   Only then can the river be returned to a truly pristine environment.
                          -   Biodiversity will once again flourish when, & only when, this happens.

Noosaville Business   Oysters
Association, Noosa        -   The Plan does not adequately describe community concerns with the oyster project including the return on investment, lack of accountability and
Commercial                    transparency of funding or outcomes.
Boatman’s                 -   The commitment to “Full restoration seeks to construct reefs at feasible locations” (page 20) is a serious concern in light of no alternatives being presented
Association                   in the paper and the uncertainty of costs associated with the proposal.
                          -   Action required by Council
                          -   Plan needs to highlight and properly respond to community concerns with the oyster project.

                      THEME: SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT AND USE

Private               North shore needs restrictive/permit access before it is ruined.

                      Speed Limits and Public Safety
Private               Unmonitored / excessive boat speeding is causing dangerous and erosion issues in the river stretch from the Noosa River to Lake Weyba. Thank you for the
                      opportunity to have my say.

Private               The boat speeds should be restricted to reasonable speeds.
                          -    Currently commercial and private boat owners appear to have an "open" speed limit with the exception of the T Boats to Spit Holiday (only) zone.
                          -    The wash experienced around places like the Pelican Jetty, Playgrounds etc. is at times damaging to the river bank (despite the buffers in place).
                          -    More importantly, the safety of people in small craft like kayaks, surf skis etc. are at risk.

Private               Safety:
                           -    Speed limits should apply from Tewantin all the way to the mouth, not just the Sound/dog beach area.
                           -    This river is not big enough to drive at 20 knots with swimmers, kayaks, SUPS, ducks and all the other wildlife trying to survive.
                           -    Really what is the rush??
                           -    The bottleneck between the T Boat / OBoat sand bank and the jet ski hire zone is a death trap to get across in a kayak or on a SUP.
                           -    Allow kayaks to transit up the north shore side so they don't clog up the middle of the river.
                           -    Really have a close look at weekends and holidays to see where the pressure spots really are. Thanks!

Private               The river plan need to adopt an ongoing over all river speed limit of no more than 10 knots (except for current water ski areas and PWC areas). This would ensure
                      the following:
                           -     Use of the river to all users. At present with the speed boat wakes restrict the rivers use for, rowers, sailing boats, paddle boards and swimmers etc. This is
                                 an unfair sharing of the river.
                           -     Reduce erosion to the river banks with less wake travelling at a slower rate.
                           -     Keep wild life safer on the water and on the water’s edge with smaller wakes / waves.
                           -     Make the river safer for all users.
                           -     Reduce pollution in the river with less boat exhaust outputs at lower speed.
                           -     Make policing of speeding in the river easier (particularly with "water rats " )
                           -     Ensure moored / anchored boats were safe with less wake / wave movement.

Private               Firstly, congratulations on the effort in preparing the visionary plan, which is clear, logical and explains many important issues that require urgent or future actions.
                            -    My specific concern, and that of nearly every other person I have spoken to who lives on the banks of the lower river around Munna Point is Public Safety.
                            -    The concerns directly relate to speed, and the ever-increasing motorised river traffic, and the total disregard a significant percentage of this traffic has for
                                 even the most fundamental maritime rules and regulations.
                            -    These issues have been alluded to in the Draft Plan but unfortunately not in the direct terms I believe they should be in.
                            -    I believe Council should be very specific and firm in their demands to the Maritime Safety Board given this "Partners" past performance and attitude.
                            -    In my opinion demands should include permanent all year round 6 knot speed limit on the lower river from T Boats to near the river mouth.
                            -    Additional visual signage on the river relating to speed limits and safety.
                            -    Additional and more effective policing. It is noted that very recently some improvement has been made in this area. On this issue the MSB refused my
                                 request to release information as to speeding fines issued on the river in recent years, and it isn’t hard to work out why.
                            -    A public awareness campaign advising how, and who to, residents and tourists can readily report dangerous behaviour by motorised craft.




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