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

Sunshine Beach and Sunrise Beach
Setting
Sunrise Beach and Sunshine Beach (see Figure 11) are the northern-most localities in the Eastern
Beaches. Bordered by Burgess Creek in the south, and Noosa National Park at the northern end,
this locality has around 3.2 kilometres of beach frontage with a narrow, vegetated dune area
between development and the sea. These localities, particularly the beaches and foreshore
recreational areas, are popular with locals and visitors. They contain a range of assets and
activities, from residential and tourist accommodation, to popular restaurants and the Sunshine
Beach Surf Life Saving Club (SLSC). Despite their popularity these localities maintain the
aesthetics and atmosphere of a small village.

Risks
Both Sunrise and Sunshine Beach have experienced erosion and loss of the frontal dunes during
powerful swell events. Like the other Eastern Beaches localities, the beaches have typically
recovered through natural coastal processes. However, due to the level of recreational activity
occurring on these beaches, foot-traffic is likely impairing the rate of recovery compared to less
populated beaches to the south. Additionally, the historical encroachment of development on the
primary dunes has also potentially limited somewhat the ability of wind-blow sand to replenish the
wider dune system.

The low height of the frontal dunes, backed by very steep vegetated primary dunes, in this section
of the coastline mean some areas of the beach and dune foreshore are already at risk from a
major coastal erosion event. As sea levels continue to rise, an increasing number of private assets
are projected to be exposed to coastal erosion, with some considered at very high risk as soon as
the year 2040. Appendix 3 shows the change in risk profile across various parts of Sunrise Beach
and Sunshine Beach as the area exposed to the effects of coastal erosion increases. Tables 5 and
6 below provide a summary of the changing risk profile for six broad asset types within the
localities that are projected to be exposed to the effects of coastal erosion between present day
and 2100.

The main public assets at risk in Sunrise and Sunshine Beach are natural assets (beaches and
vegetated dunes); beach accesses; carparks and roads; buried infrastructure, and the Sunshine
Beach SLSC and Ed Webb Park. As well as these, a significant number of beachfront private
dwellings are expected to be affected. The capacity to provide and maintain coastal protection
works (e.g. seawalls) for protection from erosion risks is significantly impaired given the steep
profile of the dune system the majority of high-risk locations are developed (such as private
dwellings along Seaview Terrace, Park Road, and Tingira Crescent) and the scale of many of
these structures relative to their lot size.

Impacts to the public assets (e.g. carparks, roads) may also to have indirect impacts on adjacent
commercial and retail businesses.




Noosa Council – Coastal Hazards Adaptation Plan 2020 - 2030 (community consultation version)   Page 38