2022-02-08 Planning and Environment Committee Meeting Agenda

PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA   8 FEBRUARY 2022




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PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                8 FEBRUARY 2022

           e new science collected since 2006 on the flow requirements of ecosystems and threatened species needs to be considered as part of the plan
              review.
           e  The underpinning hydrologic model also needs to be updated to reflect recent climatic data including dry periods in the Millennium drought.
       The new plan should be based on fresh data and modelling scenarios assumptions taking into account environmental flows critical to ecological processes
       as well as the variability of flows arising from climate change. In that regard, the decision to not proceed with the Traveston Crossing Dam in 2019 on
       environmental grounds should be a primary basis for new water planning scenarios.
       In regard to the Noosa River, Council supports the maintenance of a conservative approach to extraction of ground water from the Cooloola Artesian Basin,
       as also outlined in the Ministers Performance Assessment Report (April 2019). Noosa Council has significant concerns for any proposal to increase
       extraction of water from the Cooloola Artesian basin due to impacts on the Noosa River, and the documented risk for potential sea water intrusion, which
       would be disastrous.
       Concerns for management of ground water in the Six Mile Creek catchment which is a significant tributary to the Mary River. Again the extraction of ground
       water for domestic purposes is not regulated, and in an era of declining environmental flows, it is considered that the issue should require detailed
       examination and management provisions applied. A specific concern is the possible extraction of ground water for the commercial bottled water business,
       a situation that has proven to be problematic in other locations.
       Concerns that extraction of ground water in the Eastern Beaches (Sunshine Beach to Peregian Beach) of Noosa Shire is currently unregulated for domestic
       purpose, both in terms of number of spears, as well as volume extracted. Consider that this unregulated practice is leading to decline in ground water
       levels in this environmentally significant area, including the adjacent Lake Weyba section of the Noosa National Park. This practice may be having impact
       on the ecology of freshwater wetlands, and also concerned that the reduction in ground water may have been a contributing factor to the near disastrous
      September        2019        Peregian      Beach        bushfires https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-09-09/peregian-beach-peregian-springs-bushfire-
       anniversary/12624494 due to dry vegetation not able to tap into usual ground water supplies.
       It is understood that in other areas with potable water supply, that extraction of ground water is not permitted. This approach should be explored in the
       Noosa Shire.

    2.       Regional Drought Resilience Planning Program - Mary Region

      Regional        Australian       https://www.awe.gov.au/agriculture-land/farm-food-             Notification letter to Noosa     Shayan Barmand
      Drought         Government       drought/drought/future-drought-fund/regional-drought-          Council.
      Resilience       department of | resilience-planning
      Planning        Agriculture,     and
       Program -       Water and the
                       Environment

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