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

                              -    My reasoning being:
                              -    The only difference between a Jet ski and boat is the propulsion.
                              -    The law should state the compliance speed to which all crafts should comply and not discriminate against the type of craft.
                              -    It’s discrimination to allow a Seadoo boat but not a Seadoo Jet ski.
                              -    Or allow a Yamaha Jet boat, but not a Yamaha Jet ski.
                              -    They all have the same engine propulsion, it’s just that the Jet ski is smaller and more affordable.
                              -    Jet skis are actually more environmentally friendly as they have an enclosed propeller that can’t harm/slice sea animals or humans.
                              -    In general, Jet skis are smaller, quieter and create less wash than boats.
                              -    In general they also use less fuel, have better vision and are more manoeuvrable to avoid swimmers in the water.
                              -    Jet ski owners pay registration and taxes and should be afforded the same rights as boat owners.
                              -    Jet skis and boats happily co-exist on Maroochydore, Mooloolaba and Caloundra River.
                              -    Jet skis should not be discriminated against in Noosa - as it’s not the water craft that breaks the speed limit, it’s the operator.

Noosa Nth Shore               -    Noosa River Marine Zone:
Residents Association         -    There current prohibition of jet skis upstream of the Noosa Waters inlet makes little sense.
                              -    There are residents who reside on the river up to the end of the 2nd ski zone.
                              -    For them to use their craft, they will have to trailer it to Noosaville boat ramp to use it.
                              -    Secondly other shire residents with jet skis cannot now use the Tewantin ramp to launch and retrieve jet skis resulting in increased load on the
                                   Noosaville ramp and traffic/parking pressures.
                              -    Logic mandates that the jet ski transit zone be extended to the end of the 2nd ski run (excluding Lake Donella) with a 6 knot speed limit placed on
                                   these water craft until they reach the inlet to Noosa Waters - then normal speed limits apply.

Private                       -    Lack of statistics & their miss-use.
                              -    Your use of alarmist statistics generalised from whole of Queensland surveys such as ‘one in 19 people have a registered water craft” as a cause for
                                   stress or putting the Noosa River under pressure is a total exaggeration.
                              -    State Government regulations substantially restrict and indeed in some cases prohibited Noosa jet skis in the Noosa River area and these are a major
                                   source of registrations.
                              -    Half boat registrations relate to SE Qld which has a population of 3.5million of the State’s 4.8million or 73% so your boat ratio is materially out by 47%
                                   even before discounting jet skis!
                              -    The recreational boat facilities study indicated a maximum slip capacity of about 150 per day, hardly numbers to cause pressure on the river system
                                   and that would only occur on Xmas/New Year and Easter periods.
                              -    I live at the river mouth and the most water craft seen at one time at the estuary is 50-60 at its busiest holiday period.
                              -    What is lacking are real statistics from which to draw evidenced based conclusions and this detail is not in your Plan justifying conclusions.

Private                       -    Sadly it must be acknowledged that Noosa Council’s membership of the Healthy Land and Water programs over the past 17 years has been of little
                                   environmental, community, tourist or economic benefit within the area 3.1.1 Noosa River Marine Zone.
                              -    Management standards within the nominated area of NR Marine Zone 3.1.1 were set by State and Local Governments (Noosa Council) and their
                                   respective departments.
                              -    There has been a most visible decline in management standards for almost the entire 17 year period of Noosa Council’s membership.
                              -    The monitoring programs claim NR catchment health rating is between A (excellent) and B (good) conditions, indicating things upstream are fine, so
                                   one may ask why has the area 3.1.1 NR Marine Zone declined so markedly over the same period?
                              -    The year 2017-18 Noosa’s population now hovering around 54,000 residents, Noosa population growth continues to be one of the State’s highest,
                                   Noosa visitation records state 2,000,000 visitors annually in 2017/18.
                              -    Noosa as a destination for both international and domestic visitation is highly favoured.
                              -    Current NR MANAGEMENT
                              -    Council included, as river management suggests, fails to appreciate the importance of the NR as a major natural, community and tourist resource.
                              -    This is demonstrated by the lack of attention being given to policing and enforcement of current legislation.
                              -    The area 3.1.1 the NR management authorities, council included, have collectively failed to adequately implement existing legislation to protect and
                                   preserve the NR for current and future generations of residents and visitors.
                              -    Users both commercial and recreational continue to increase unabated.
                              -    River congestion has become a serious river health and safety issue.
                              -    This high demand area of the river system 3.1.1 has and is being neglected.
                              -    This most blatant use and abuse within this area 3.1.1 of the river system is well below community and environmental expectation, acceptability and
                                   sustainability.
                              -    The current level of commercial and recreational usage is unsustainable, unsightly and threatens river health.
                              -    The NR is one of the busiest waterways in Qld, there is insufficient managerial enforcement and policing of current legislation re most NR issues
                                   within 3.1.1 Marine zone.

Department of                 -    Re objective 1 (i.e. on-river education, compliance program for NR Marine Zone)
Environment and Science       -    This could present an opportunity to include information to also educate the public on the declared Fish Habitat Area (hereafter FHA).
                              -    Signage and educational structures within the FHA would require approval unless these meet accepted development requirements.
                              -    The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries assesses development applications in FHAs on DES’s behalf.

                          Anchoring, mooring and living on the river

Private                       -    Get rid of abandoned boats in the river.

Private                       -    No long term mooring of unused boats/houseboats.
                              -    Fines for owners & removal of derelict boats.

Lake Cootharaba Sailing       -    Designated mooring areas.
Club                          -    Who will want permanent moorings in front of their house?
                              -    If they do, what type of mooring would be preferential e.g. less visible and less offensive, swing mooring.
                              -    Price is currently $50 per year.
                              -    Will this stay the same?
                              -    Noosa Yacht and Rowing Club and Lake Cootharaba Sailing Club do not have any moorings and never have had.
                              -    Noosa Yacht has difficulty now to host large sailing regattas, due to the large amount of anchored vessels in the river.
                              -    Water depth is also another problem.
                              -    At present it is only knee deep in the middle of the river behind the tennis courts and towards the mouth of the river.
                              -    Parts of Lake Cootharaba are more silted up with sand then they have in the past.
                              -    Water sport areas should be reconsidered due to the changes of the river.

Private                       -    Removal of all houseboats that do not use the council provided "dump points" but just empty sewerage directly into river.
                              -    Houseboats and other vessels not complying with river management proposals in given time be put up for auction with new owners given a date to
                                   comply with council conditions or have vessels removed from river.
                              -    Putting a decent increase on mooring rights cost for all vessels mooring in the river, example being Rottnest Island mooring rights in excess of $
                                   1,500 per year with hundreds of persons paying this amount annually.

Private                       -    Every Boat moored in the Noosa River should pay – similar to rates for Land OR a Caravan Park where residents bring their own home/van to live in.
                              -    Boaties bring their boats to moor on the River.


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