2021-01-18 GC - Item 2 - Attachment 2 - Consultation Report River Plan Version 1 (2018)

Noosa Nth Shore         -   Speed limits and public safety:
Residents Association   -   We support these recommendations but would like to add that Commercial Boat Hire Operators be required to provide much clearer instruction for
                            each renter as to where they can navigate and how close to private jetties/property they can go.
                        -   We see increasing problems with hire boats travelling within a few metres of private jetties, private property, anchored vessels and swimmers.
                        -   Given that most who rent have little or no experience they pose an increasing risk to public safety.
                        -   We suggest that a way in which to minimise risk may be to create a navigation channel in the river for all craft heading up or down stream.
                        -   With regard to a boats wake, this varies by hull design and not only hull speed.
                        -   Some vessels actually generate little to no wake at planing speed whereas others significant wake at slow speeds (e.g. 4-6 knots).
                        -   This phenomenon gives more weight to creating a navigation channel because damage to the foreshore on both sides of the river is getting worse
                            every year and especially at peak season.
                        -   It is our view that Council should lobby the State to amend licensing requirements for boat drivers.
                        -   We demand that a person who is learning to drive a car must be medically fit and undergo theoretical testing followed by a practical examination then
                            a series of levels of a licence.
                        -   By todays’ laws, a person could be at the controls of a boat doing 20-40 knots in the Noosa River not having done any training, etc. so long as a
                            licensed driver is in the boat.
                        -   As rivers and narrow waterways become even more congested, there is even a greater argument to move to a system of licensing similar to that of a
                            driver’s license in our view.
                        -   Think about that narrow stretch of water around Munna Point as an example.
                        -   Families and kids in the water…on the beach….and 50 metres of water for boats to navigate through.
                        -   At peak season sure they are supposed to do 6 knots but it’s 20 knots the rest of the time and should an inexperienced driver hit a wake and not
                            know what to do, the consequences could be disastrous.
                        -   Additionally, an ongoing problem is kids - many around 10-12 in Tinnies with a 4HP motor doing dangerous things.
                        -   Because they weigh little, a small tinny is capable of planning and going at speed.
                        -   They become unstable hitting boat wash and are a danger to all.
                        -   Kids should be able to go fishing but they need to also be made aware of dangers as well as controlled.

Private                 -   Vessel speed limits on the river are exceeded regularly by vessel operators.
                        -   After dark vessel operators can be regularly observed operating without navigation lights on the river.

Private                 -   Safety hazard of commercial jet skis (PWC’s).
                        -   I was instrumental in encouraging the then State member Cate Malloy, in legislating the current restrictions on PWC’s, hovercraft and sea planes.
                        -   The Commercial PWC operations came after that.
                        -   It defies common sense to have unlicensed drivers at high speed separated by an imaginary line with some floats from the main narrow shipping
                            channel.
                        -   A disaster, death or injury waiting to happen.
                        -   This unlicensed driver operation in proceeding to the river mouth is inconsistent with safe laws governing all other PWC users where licences are
                            mandatory.
                        -   It should be away from other public marine activity.
                        -   Further I believe the operation is illegal under State Government legislation as, I understand, the Indigenous owners of the river are required to give
                            their permission for use of such a land / water asset and I am not aware that procedure has been effected in granting the State Government licence
                            to operate there, maybe in the rush to get an income stream.

Private                 -   I would also like to know what the council is planning on doing with the lower estuary and the eroding dog beach and woods bays.
                        -   It is only a matter of time before it erodes through.
                        -   I think everyone needs to realise that where this spit has been built is in an extremely tidal environment, so permanent retaining needs to be installed
                            instead of just dredging more and more sand up there.
                        -   As a commercial fisherman on the river each day I see the erosion of this area change each day and nothing being done about it.
                        -   It is becoming a hazard to all mariners passing the area in restricted visibility as each month when the spring tides arrive there is usually a couple
                            trees dislodged from the bank and end up in the middle of the river, only to be marked by a yellow special marker when they should be removed
                            straight away.
                        -   Perhaps one way to minimise erosion at areas like the munna point caravan park, las Rios resort, coastguard and the dog beach would be to
                            implement a year round 6 knot speed limit from t boat hire downriver to the ocean entrance like you have discussed in your plan.
                        -   Prior to running Noosa River fishing safaris I also worked at t boat hire for approximately 10 years, I think the commercial pwc area is a good idea, as
                            long as it is kept as a commercial pwc area.
                        -   That area is a testimony to the fact that jet skis are not causing any erosion in the river at all and I think it’s about time the ban is lifted on the usage of
                            them in the upper estuary.
                        -   Lifting this ban would also ease the congestion of the lower estuary during the holiday periods.
                        -   To say that jet skis create erosion is untrue in my opinion, I believe that the v8 wake boats that are designed to create wake are certainly more of a
                            problem than jet skis being up the river.

Private                 -   Problematic speed limits.
                        -   Justification for speed limits lacks evidence based facts.
                        -   It appears safety of congested multiple use channels is one reason but no statistics on any accidents or water craft usage trends is offered.
                        -   The result is un-necessary imposition of indiscriminate speed limits for months at a time when just the peak holiday period would have achieved the
                            objective.
                        -   Inconvenience for the resident regular water user results when there is very little river traffic most of the time.
                        -   When they were first instituted at Munna Point the belief was that a Noosa Councillor had mistakenly thought that the speeding boats would scare
                            the shorebirds but the opposite is the reality as slower boats annoy them longer if they do annoy them at all which by observation , doesn’t happen as
                            the birds are very accepting and adaptable.
                        -   The second justification profited is speed causes erosion.
                        -   This is mainly a fallacy as planning hulls only cause larger wash at low speeds and very little at higher speeds.
                        -   There are different semi-displacement hulls which cause large wash at both high and low speed but less at high speed.
                        -   Experts will attest this is all correct and relying on slow speed to mitigate erosion only makes the erosion worse. Please get the facts first.

Private                 -   I wish to express my concern regarding the Draft Plan particularly in the area relating to safety.
                        -   In the Plan there are suggestions of reducing the speed limit on the river even further in an effort to improve safety.
                        -   As a regular user of the river it appears you have overlooked what I consider to be the greatest issue and that is the use of craft by unlicensed drivers
                            using sub 6hp engines.
                        -   These people quite often have no idea as to boating regulations, which side of the river to pass on and generally use unsafe manoeuvers.
                        -   Also, such vessels can be driven by young people who zip about in their tinnies.
                        -   If one is genuinely concerned with safety this would probably be the first issue to work with.
                        -   Once can always reduce the speed limit, in fact one could put a total ban on boating which would enhance safety even further, however reducing the
                            speed limit is a simple action but avoids addressing the real problem.

Private                 -   As a Coastal Rower I have watched the erosion on the Noosa River with concern.
                        -   I have no doubt that one of the contributing factors is the prevalence of large power vessels creating a sizable wash.
                        -   I believe this may be something that the Council may not be able to regulate, but I think representations should be made the Department of Transport
                            and State Environmental bodies requesting they research the issue with a view to limiting the speed at which powered vessels may travel in these
                            sensitive areas.



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