2022-06-16 Ordinary Meeting Agenda

ORDINARY MEETING AGENDA                                                              16 JUNE 2022


COUNCILLOR COMMENT
The Northern End of Sunshine Beach to Plover Street at Peregian is a Reserve under the Qld Land
Act for Recreational Purposes of which Council is a Trustee.

Under the Act, Noosa Council is bound as trustee over State land to exercise its duty of care for the
land and the beaches under its control.

The motion requests that Council resolve the matters addressed in the motion regarding Burgess
Creek.

Over the last 2 months, I have been met with residents regarding the significant damage of the
Burgess Creek Foreshore and concerns regarding the discolouration of the Burgess Creek flow.

They are concerned that the treated wastewater and stormwater flowing out of Burgess Creek is
causing possible pollution, possible health risks and significant erosion to our dunes and beaches.

The 4 metre drop from the dunes to the beach is a potential source of injury for beach-users. And
the erosion is threatening public infrastructure, roads and the coastal ecosystem.

Historically, Council has dug the creek and redirected the flow into the ocean.

Residents have raised concern, that failure to have done so over recent months, and the recent
downpour that they believe has pushed all the stormwater into the creek plus the treated wastewater
from Unity Water, has resulted in the significant foreshore damage.

The treated wastewater and stormwater are flowing consistently, eroding dunes by what some
residents estimate at 2 metres a day.

Over the last two months CEO and Council staff have met with residents and have advised residents
that action is underway to re-establish the river mouth of the Burgess Creek and re-direct the creek
discharge to the ocean.

This motion seeks details of this commitment, data and urgent action, e.g.:
    Unity Water figures on amount of wastewater discharge over the last 20 years;
    The actual amount of stormwater being discharged into the Creek;
    Evidence that the footage entering the creek is in fact naturally occurring tannins;
    WARNING - creek water contains treated sewage effluent. How much sewage effluent? What
     are acceptable levels?

Including, short-term solutions such as temporarily barricading portions of the beach where there
is a risk of someone being hurt, and other actions such as re-profiling the beaches and sand to stop
the dune erosion.

And longer-term solutions, such as an armour rock revetment system at the creek mouth or the
use of geofabric bags.

Also, this motion requests that Council investigates and explores potential partners and partnership
opportunities and funding with State and Federal government to develop a water management plan.
For example, Bondi Beach:
“In 2012 Waverley Council built the Bondi Stormwater Scheme, which diverts 50 million litres of
stormwater from being discharged into the ocean every year and treats it so it can be re-used for
public cleaning, toilets and irrigation.” Jason Boon, The History of Bondi Sewer




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