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

Marine debris events
As shipping up the east coast and the region’s urbanisation increases, the amount of marine debris
on our beaches increases. And as climate change increases the intensity and occurrence of
extreme weather, floods and storms have the potential to deposit more marine debris after events.
Debris can include parts, rubbish and fishing gear off ships and fishing vessels; litter and rubbish
via stormwater; general rubbish, building materials; outside furniture; and community infrastructure
from low-lying parks after floods. The Brisbane February 2022 floods deposited 18 pontoons from
Brisbane River on Noosa’s beaches (see the Highlight Box overleaf).

This debris is unsightly and poses a safety risk to beach users and wildlife, particularly when it is
obscured by storm foam. There is also a strong and growing body of evidence on the negative
environmental impact of marine debris through ingestion, entanglement, habitat damage and the
spread of alien and invasive species6.

Day to day debris is removed from the beach by community members or Council workers and
placed near or in the bins at the top of the beach access or removed to the tip by rubbish
contractors or Council workers. After storms, debris is removed by hand or machine, and taken to
the tip by Council workers or deposited in beach access bins or home bins by community
members.

Natural marine debris, natural wood, seagrass, seaweed, pumice-stone, vegetation and similar,
can also be deposited in large amounts during extreme weather. Natural debris can act as a useful
entrapment point, allowing the lodgment of sand and seeds that contribute to the rebuilding and
revegetation of frontal dunes after disturbance. They can also be significant habitat features,
especially during the early phase of dune rebuilding where little other cover occurs. Unless the
natural debris is posing a significant safety risk it shall be left where it is, to redistribute and
decompose naturally.


Marine oil spills
With increased international and domestic shipping passing along the shipping route along our
coast and increased extreme weather due to climate change, the risk of a larger marine oil spill
from a ship is also increasing. This was further increased during the Coronavirus pandemic by
reduced ship maintenance and reduced enforcement, and now with potential monitoring and
enforcement labour shortages. Oil spills from ships or from land based activities may also occur in
Noosa River.

Animals can be poisoned or burned by the chemicals in the oil – marine animals that come to the
surface to breathe or live on the surface or in intertidal area are particularly vulnerable. Oil prevents
birds from flying or floating, and most oiled seabirds drown out at sea. Oil also prevents fur or
feathers keeping the animal warm, and they can rapidly freeze to death in cold water. Plants and
animals that live on rocks, mudflats, in the sand or on the bottom of the sea can be poisoned or
smothered. The effects of oil spills can be longstanding even on wildlife that survives, reproduction
success and lifespans can be reduced, the populations of threatened species affected, and
habitats degraded.

Economies and communities can also be affected. Fisheries can be affected by a reduction in
commercial species populations, contamination, or public perception about food safety. Tourism,
hospitality and accommodation industries, particularly where focused on coastal access and


6 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency (2022). “Why is Marine Debris a Problem?” Available Online:

https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/discover-marine-debris/why-marine-debris-problem

Eastern Beaches Foreshore Management Plan – Draft (V4 26.9.22 – for public consultation)        Page 36