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

PEREGIAN BEACH
Setting

Peregian Beach is the southern-most township in Noosa Shire. The locality has a four-kilometre
beach frontage with a vegetated dune area between the developed areas and the sea. Peregian
Beach maintains the scale and character and atmosphere of a village that provides local
convenience shopping, business and employment services for residents and visitors within the
locality.

Risks to Peregian Beach

Peregian Beach has historically experienced short term erosion on beaches after strong swells and
tropical storms with sand naturally replenishing through coastal processes such as longshore drift.
The low profile of the beach and dunes and vegetated buffer mean only some areas of the beach
and dune foreshore are exposed to coastal erosion. An increasing number of other assets may be
exposed to future coastal erosion over time. Appendix 4 shows the projected change in the
erosion prone area due to sea level rise across various parts of Peregian Beach during a major
storm event. Table 4 provides a summary of the changing risk profile for six broad asset types
within the locality that are projected to be exposed to the effects of coastal erosion between
present day and 2100.

The main assets at risk by mid-late century (2070 – 2100) in Peregian Beach are natural assets
(beaches and vegetated dunes); beach accesses; Peregian Park and the various community and
visitor recreation assets it contains (picnic tables, skate park, footpaths); and the backyards of a
small number of residential lots at the very southern end of Peregian Beach. The Peregian Beach
Surf Life Saving Club itself is not expected to be directly impacted during a major erosion event,
however operations are likely to be impaired due to damage to the park and beach accesses.
Impacts to these assets may also have indirect impacts on adjacent commercial and retail
businesses.

A moderate amount of buried stormwater and sewerage infrastructure is also likely to be at high
risk by 2100, along some streets south of Peregian Park. Victory Park carpark and amenities block
is also likely to be impacted.

          Asset Type                               Erosion Risks by Year
                              Present Day             2040                2070                2100
             Tourism                                              Low
             Business                                             Low
            Residential                                Low                                  Medium
           Infrastructure                    Low                        Medium                High
                                                             10
           Recreational            Low             Medium                           High
              Natural                        Low                        Medium                High
                  Table 4 - Change in Peregian Beach asset risk profiles across planning horizons


At present, the only methods for mitigating the risks in Peregian Beach are:

    -   Maintaining and enhancing vegetated dune areas, which act as a natural buffer to erosion
        by dispersing wave energy during storm events


10 The recreational asset at risk in this case is beach use due to exposure of beach accesses by 2040.


Noosa Council – Coastal Hazards Adaptation Plan                                                      Page 35