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

        Our Coastal zone
Covering an area of 870km2, Noosa Shire is home to more than 55,000 people (ABS, 2017). Two
thirds of the population live within the coastal area that takes in Peregian to Sunshine Beach,
Noosa Heads, Noosaville and Tewantin. The Traditional Owners are the Kabi Kabi people (Gubbi
Gubbi people) who have lived in and cared for the coastal area for millennia and continue to
maintain a deep connection with the natural environment, landscape and sea.

Noosa Shire has over 45 kilometres of coastline extending from Peregian Beach north to Teewah
and Great Sandy National Park on Noosa North Shore (Figure 2). Famous for its open surf
beaches, protected north-facing bays, river systems and everglades, Noosa’s coastal zone is at
the fragile interface of land and sea. Extending landward from the ocean, many kilometres of
estuaries and waterways connect the hinterland to the coast. This network of rivers, tributaries and
lakes plays an important role in supporting marine and aquatic life. The Noosa River system also
functions as an important temporary storage of flood waters during flood events, thereby absorbing
the impact of ocean-related impacts such as storm surges.

The natural character of Noosa’s coastline and surrounding vegetated landscape is a key attractor
and point of difference for the local economy. It attracts businesses, investors and residents who
wish to enjoy the nature-based, casual lifestyle and take advantage of Noosa’s clean, green
reputation, innovative culture and attractive beaches.


Coastal Landscape
The coastal zone is the interface between land and sea and includes coastal waters and areas
landwards. Coastal land includes land under tidal waters, erosion prone areas, land at risk from
storm tide inundation or permanent inundation due to sea level rise, and parcels of land adjacent to
the foreshore. In Noosa Shire, this includes coastal waters and land adjacent to the open beaches,
rivers and lakes that are influenced by the tides.

Coastal hazards will affect localities to varying extents depending on geographic position and
topography. For instance, the open coast will be most affected by coastal erosion and shoreline
recession. Open coast communities include Peregian Beach, Marcus Beach, Castaways Beach,
Sunrise Beach, Sunshine Beach, Noosa Heads, Noosa North Shore and Teewah. Contrastingly,
riverine areas including Noosaville and Tewantin will be most affected by periodic storm tide
inundation and permanent sea level rise. Further information on coastal hazards can be found in
Section 4.

Open coast
The beaches along Noosa’s coastline are dynamic wave-dominated sandy beaches that naturally
experience phases of erosion and accretion that operate over a range of timescales including
seasons1. Most beaches in Noosa are ‘dynamically stable’ and have benefited from long periods of
sand accretion in recent decades (largely due to the general absence of major storm activity as
compared to historical erosion events of the 1970s). Noosa Main Beach and Dog Beach are
notable exceptions experiencing more regular erosion. The open beaches are shaped and
maintained by coastal processes of erosion and accretion, as well as longshore drift which
transports sediments northward along Australia’s east coast2. The supply of sand needed to keep
the beach at a ‘healthy’ state is reliant on longshore drift processes which is influenced by
prevailing winds, swells, and sediment supply, mostly driven from the south east.


1 Thom, B.G. and Hall, W. 1991 OZCOASTS
2 BMT WBM (2013), Sunshine Coast Regional Council: Coastal Processes Study


Noosa Council – Coastal Hazards Adaptation Plan 2020 - 2030                                  Page 8