2022-11-14 GC Agenda - Item 3 - Attachment 1 - Draft Eastern Beaches Foreshore Management Plan

the sea, although to a lesser degree than hatchlings. Light sources and mitigation are discussed
further below.

Climate change: Higher sand temperatures during incubation means that less males are being
hatched. Sea level rise and increasing storm occurrence and intensity means that nests are more
likely to be flooded or washed away. Frontal dunes are more likely to be eroded and steep,
preventing turtle access and making it more likely nests are laid where they could be flooded or
crushed by traffic. Climate change mitigation measures like sea walls or beach nourishment can
also cause problems by preventing access, burying nests or changing the consistency of the sand.


Invasive species
The Noosa Local Government Area Biosecurity Plan 2020 identifies several priority pest species
that directly apply to foreshore reserves, including glory lily, asparagus fern, Singapore daisy and
foxes. Invasive plant species are a significant threat to biodiversity, displacing native species,
simplifying species and structure biodiversity and reducing habitat values. Foxes are a particular
threat to coastal ground egg laying species, including vulnerable sea turtles and other reptiles, and
Eastern Ground Parrot.

Glory lily
Glory Lily (Gloriosa superba) is recognised as a serious ecological weed in Queensland and
Northern New-South Wales, especially in dunes and other sandy coastal areas. Forming dense
thickets and with twining leaf tips that allows it to climb over existing vegetation, Glory Lily
smothers and dominates vegetation, replacing structurally and species diverse coastal vegetation
with a monoculture of an introduced plant.

Glory lily also poses significant risks to coastal landforms and climate change resilience. Glory Lily
only grows above ground during the warmer months, leaving large areas of erosion prone sand
dunes largely bare for over half of the year. During above ground seasons fine, simple, above
ground stems and no fibrous or surface roots poses little resistance to wind and water erosion.

Large, persistent tubers and fragile underground stems mean that Glory Lily is hard to control, with
no mechanical control found effective, and an effective and sustainable chemical control method
for naturalised populations has not been confirmed.

Recent BOA condition mapping found that many areas in our EBFRs are dominated by glory lily,
with some areas found to have over 75% glory lily in the understory.

Coastal Fox Control Program
One of the primary threats to sea turtles are foxes and wild dogs digging up turtle nests and eating
the eggs. Council’s Pests and Land Protection officers conduct fox control in the Coastal Fox
Control Program as part of Council’s sea turtle conservation efforts. The Coastal Fox Control
Program is currently a joint project with Coolum and District Coastcare, Sunshine Coast Regional
Council, and Queensland Department of Environment and Science, and has been running for
about 6 years. Similar programs also run in other local government areas.

Volunteers from Coolum and District Coastcare and Council officers monitor fox predation on turtle
nests in Noosa and place dig prevention mesh on top of nests that are at particular risk of fox
predation. Many other coastal and near coastal native species benefit from fox and feral animal
control, including ground parrot, water mouse, small mammals, and shorebirds.




Eastern Beaches Foreshore Management Plan – Draft (V4 26.9.22 – for public consultation)       Page 16