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

Marcus Beach and Castaways Beach
Setting
Marcus Beach and Castaways Beach (see Figure 11) are localities set in undulating coastal
dunes and vegetation. They are located midway along what is locally known as the ‘Eastern
Beaches’. Both localities each have beachfront totalling approximately two kilometres in length.
Protected by vegetated dune buffers, both localities predominately provide housing for permanent
residents, with some short-term visitor accommodation, with commercial or retail uses. Two
coastal creeks, Marcus Creek, Castaways Creek, and Burgess Creek flow through the coastal
dunes to the beach and out to sea. David Low Way represents the primary means of entering and
exiting these localities from the South and the North. For much of this area, David Low Way is
situated between residential areas and the dune zone and beachfront.

Risks
The beachfront in this area has historically experienced some erosion along the beach and frontal
dunes after large swells, with recovery occurring through natural coastal processes gradually over
time. Appendix 3 shows the change in risk profile across various parts of Marcus Beach and
Castaways Beach as the area exposed to the effects of coastal erosion increases. Table 4
provides a summary of the changing risk profile for six broad asset types within the locality that are
projected to be exposed to the effects of coastal erosion between present day and 2100.

Due to the ongoing presence of wide vegetated dune systems in this locality, much of the risk from
erosion is to natural assets, with some risks to David Low Way and the parking area at Castaways
Beach expected toward the end of the century. Damage to David Low Way in this locality could
present an accessibility hazard to the community in Castaways Beach, as this road provides the
only access to this suburb from the north and south. Costs associated with repairing this damage
would be significant and involve lengthy construction times.


          Asset Type                                  Erosion Risk by Year
                              Present Day             2040           2070                    2100
          Tourism                                             Low
          Business                                              Low
          Residential                                           Low
          Infrastructure9           Low             Medium                High            Very High
          Recreational                                 Low                                 Medium
          Natural                            Low                                 Medium
         Table 4 - Change in Marcus Beach and Castaways Beach asset risk profiles across planning horizons


At present, the only methods for mitigating coastal erosion risks in Marcus Beach and Castaways
Beach are:

    -   Maintaining and enhancing vegetated dune areas, which act as a natural buffer to erosion
        by dispersing wave energy during storm events
    -   Planning controls on coastal development that prevent encroachment into the vegetated
        dune areas, thereby preserving natural coastal processes of erosion and accretion.




9 Some buried infrastructure is at risk, however the primary infrastructure concern in this locality is David Low

Way
Noosa Council – Coastal Hazards Adaptation Plan 2020 - 2030 (community consultation version)                 Page 36