2021-10-08 SM - Item 1 - Attachment 2 - Draft Coastal Hazards Adaptation Plan - tracked changes

Riverine areas
Riverine areas are low-lying areas that are adjacent to river and lake systems and are exposed to
potential inundation from periodic storm tide inundation and/or permanent tidal inundation. The
Noosa River’s headwaters begin in the hinterland west of Kin Kin and the Cooloola section of the
Great Sandy National Park in the north of the shire. On its journey to the sea, the river passes
through a number of shallow coastal lakes and past low key residential and tourist areas before
entering Laguna Bay at its mouth. Most of the Noosa River catchment is relatively flat with a
change in elevation of only 80 metres from the headwaters to the mouth. This small gradient
means that changes to mean sea level, and in turn the river level, has the potential to affect
significant areas of low-lying land adjacent to the river. The tidal limit of the Noosa River
encompasses the shallow lakes of Cootharaba, Cooroibah, Doonella, and Weyba, and their
shores, and will consequently be affected by future sea level rise.

Localities within the tidal zone of the Noosa River are Noosa Heads, Noosaville, Tewantin and
Cooroibah, Cootharaba, Boreen Point, and Noosa North Shore.



Coastal values
Coastal zones are highly valued for the social, environmental and economic benefits they provide.
Noosa’s coastal zone supports a mix of land use types including conservation areas, recreation
and amenity spaces, urban development and critical infrastructure that all provide value to the
community and economy. Feedback received from the community (see Section 3) in the
development of this plan emphasised the need to uphold a set of core natural asset and lifestyle
values within the coastal zone to ensure the desired attributes of Noosa Shire are maintained and
available to future generations.




Noosa Council – Coastal Hazards Adaptation Plan 2020 - 2030                                Page 10