2021-01-18 GC - Item 3 - Attachment 1 - Coastal Hazards Adaptation Plan for Community Consultation

         Community Engagement
Engaging with the Noosa community and other stakeholders has formed an important part of the
development of this plan. This engagement has provided for a two-way shared understanding of
the risks Council and the community face from coastal hazards, and has helped to create a plan
that reflects a vision for Noosa shared by many.

Several rounds of stakeholder engagement were carried out during the course of this plan’s
development with members of the public, industry experts, State government representatives, and
specialists within Council. Identifying coastal values, coastal hazard risks and adaptation options
were topics of focus for this consultation process, with feedback yielding valuable insights into
Noosa’s most valued assets and preferred adaptation options. These activities included multiple
online and in-person surveys, pop-up events, static displays, workshops, and meetings with groups
of stakeholders with a range of special interests.

An important aspect of this CHAP has been working with members of the community to understand
the values, wants and needs of Noosa Shire residents, business owners and other stakeholders.
Knowing that adaptation decisions have the potential to be politically sensitive, this process has
required complex stakeholder engagement in order to build upon existing knowledge within the
community regarding coastal hazards, and ensure community stakeholders are meaningfully
involved in the planning process.

These actions were critical to identifying the locations and assets the local community deems to be
of most importance and why, as well as the extent to which the community is able to tolerate
damage or other impairments to these due to coastal hazards. These perspectives were vital in
appropriately determining the risks and areas of most concern, as well as for assessing adaptation
options.

The most prominent messages from the Noosa community received during the plan’s development
have been:

   ➢ Natural and scenic amenity assets are considered to have the highest intrinsic value to the
     community
   ➢ Short term disruptions to public access are tolerable, with a strong emphasis on restoring
     accessibility quickly and safely
   ➢ There is a strong preference for nature-based solutions that fit with the look and feel of
     Noosa, and that minimize impacts to natural environments
   ➢ There is a general acceptance that temporary interruptions are likely to occur and that
     these are forecast to increase/worsen, but there is a low tolerance for more permanent
     impacts.




Noosa Council – Coastal Hazards Adaptation Plan 2020 - 2030 (community consultation version)   Page 10