2016-02-02 Planning & Organisation Committee Agenda

PLANNING & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                  2 FEBRUARY 2016


Upgrade of Noosa River     The existing flood study was completed in 1995. This upgrade will
Flood model                provide a confident basis for ongoing planning and decision making
                           regarding land use planning, development assessment, disaster
                           management and waterways management.
                           Specific objectives for the upgrade include developing an improved
                           understanding of:
                           - anticipated areas of inundation for existing and future climate
                               scenarios;
                           - anticipated channel shifts and sand erosion/deposition for potential
                               dredging, maintenance and construction activities; and
                           - flood flow velocity distributions within the waterway and throughout
                               the adjacent floodplains.
                           Council will also seek to apply the findings of the upgraded hydraulic
                           modeling (a component of the existing flood study) to investigate
                           management strategies for shoreline erosion in the lower estuary.

Non-statutory activities                                            Details
Annual ecosystem health    Healthy Waterways manages this program on behalf of Noosa Council
assessments of the         and other local governments in South East Queensland.
Noosa River catchment      The Noosa River catchment is regarded as a ‘reference’ catchment in
lakes and estuary (i.e.    terms of ecosystem health for SE Qld.
Report Card).              Since 2001, health grades for the Noosa River catchment has fluctuated
                           between an A (excellent condition) to a B (good condition). These
                           fluctuations are often linked to rainfall intensity and duration as a general
                           rule each assessment year. Freshwater streams have better health
                           ratings during a wet year, indicating a positive influence of high water
                           flows. In contrast, estuaries often have poorer grades in wet years, when
                           significant quantities of sediment and nutrients are washed down from
                           the upper catchment.
                           There are 5 freshwater and 17 estuarine monitoring sites assessed twice
                           per year. The indicators of ecosystem health used include nutrients
                           (nitrogen & phosphorus); habitat (quality of bed/banks streamside
                           vegetation); aquatic processes (rates of plant/algal growth); biota
                           (variety/health of fish & macro invertebrates); physical-chemical status
                           (oxygen availability, temperature, water clarity, salinity, acidity).

                           In 2015, Healthy Waterways introduced a new Waterway Benefits Rating
                           to the annual Report Card.

                           The Noosa River received an A- grade & 4.5 stars Waterway Benefit
                           Rating. The community rates their ability to use, and satisfaction with, the
                           waterways very highly. Excellent freshwater riparian and estuarine
                           habitats.

Monthly Waterwatch         Noosa Waterwatch is a community based network of volunteers who
monitoring of Noosa and    monitor local creeks and rivers on a monthly basis. The Program is
Mary River catchments.     coordinated by Noosa and District Landcare and has been running for
                           over 10 years.
                           There are 40 volunteers collecting data on 45 sites across the Noosa
                           River and Mary River (i.e. Six Mile Creek) catchments. Hinterland
                           volunteers monitor 21 sites throughout Cooroy, Pomona and Kin Kin;
                           whilst the coastal volunteers monitor 24 sites throughout Noosa,
                           Peregian and Boreen Point. Aquatic macroinvertebrate or water bug
                           surveys are also conducted at selected sites or as requested by school
                           groups. Water quality indicators at each site are monitored and compared
                           to the recommended guidelines for healthy waterways.
                           Council has supported this program in the past as an educational
                           initiative through the Community Grants Program.




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