2019-06-11 P&E Agenda - Item 7 - Attachment 1 - Environment Strategy

     Waterways, Wetlands and Coasts
     Goal                                                                              In the coastal areas, Noosa Shire consists of long sandy
                                                                                       beaches interrupted only by the rocky headland of Noosa
     By 2030, our waterways, wetlands and coasts are                                   National Park. Protected by the predominant south-
     healthy, resilient to change and valued by the community.                         easterly winds, Granite Bay, Little Cove and Noosa Main
                                                                                       Beach are a very popular destinations for beachgoers
     Noosa Shire consists of the Noosa River catchment                                 and surfers. Teewah Beach is also in great demand for
     (63%) and Mary River catchment (36%). There is also a                             fishing, camping and 4WDs, particularly during holidays
     small area (1%) of the north Maroochy River catchment                             and weekends.
     in Noosa Shire. The Noosa and Mary Rivers and their
     catchments offer a range of ecosystem services to                                 3 core strategies are identified in this theme:
     residents and visitors including fisheries, water resources,
     flood regulation, recreational use and cultural learnings.                         •     maintain & improve the health of waterways,
                                                                                              wetlands & catchments
     The Noosa River is south-east Queensland’s healthiest                              •     protect and enhance coastal environments and
     waterway. It has listed wetlands of national significance                                vegetated buffers to coastal foreshores
     and contains the largest riverine seagrass in south-
     east Queensland. The upper catchment of hte Mary                                   •     manage waterways and coasts to protect
     River includes the railway towns and villages of Cooroy,                                 environmental values while enabling sustainable
     Pomona and Cooran. It is largely a rural catchment                                       public access, recreation and commercial use.
     characterized by cattle grazing, small crops, hobby
     farms and large vegetated areas. Rural land use in this
     catchment greatly influences the survival of downstream
     species such as the endangered Mary River Cod
     (Maccullochella mariensis) and the Mary River Turtle
     (Elusor macrurus).




                         Photo: Wetlands are habitat for many plant and animal species and play a significant role in maintaining water quality




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