2017-01-16 General Committee Agenda

Page 81 of 146

Community Benefit

An improved waterway health for the entire system will produce significant improvements into the fish habitat. It is
proposed through the reduction of over 1,500 large vessel movements a year from the waterway system that this
public benefit when the issues of boat wash, shore erosion, noise pollution, discharge of fuels and other material,
turbidity and marine plant damage is one of significant importance to the community.
This proposal will ensure the removal of these vessels and replaced from the public jetty with a low draw, low wash,
small jet powered unit boats which will be specifically designed for the upper lake and estuary system to deliver no
impacts, an improvement from current operations.
The provision of a public jetty is infrastructure that improves community access to fisheries resources and habitats.
Provision of such will enable the community access to safe mooring for departures and arrivals whilst preventing the
current occurrence of motorized vessels launching and landing through shallow waters within fish habitat.
The public jetty will facilitate access to Lake Cootharabra and adjoining waterways for canoe, kayak and boating
activities. It is providing infrastructure that enables safe access to the Noosa river system for locals and tourists. The
proposal provides and contributes to the long-term community use and enjoyment of the river system.
It will add to the community’s lifestyle choices such as fishing and boating.

The public jetty will have the provisions that will facilitate fishing for the public. Presently the community at Elanda Pt
have limited opportunities to fish without utilising the unsafe and damaging practice of launching boats directly from
the shore.

This practice has an impact within the fish habitat area by the creation of turbidity within shallow waters, disruption
of marine plants and invertebrates, and associated safety and conflict of user’s issues related with non-motorized craft
and swimming public.
The proposed location is one which has strong planning merit within spatial based locality assessment. Located directly
adjacent to the existing camping grounds and public access national park it serves to improve the current poor
accessibility to the areas that presently exists. It is through history, current land use practices that the proposed
location is the preferred point of access and engagement with the waterway and habitat area.
The proposal does not require any associated infrastructure to be located within the declared fish habitat area. The
location is one that is entirely suitable as the required amenities, services, parking, etc. is all insitu, operational and
located on land outside of the habitat area.

Current practices allow campers with their motorized vessels to enter the water directly — the proposed public jetty
would mitigate damage to habitat close to shore by enabling users to enter lake 50-100-200m from shore i.e.
minimization of the current existing habitat disturbance and bank scour and erosion.
The public jetty provides a direct link to the activity of fishing. It is able to achieve this by providing points for the
activity of fishing to occur along different access points.
The proposal will offer improved amenity, exercise, social and recreations opportunities for residents and visitors
within the habitat area and adjoining National Parks.
The proposal will protect and minimise impacts on aboriginal and non-aboriginal cultural heritage values.
It is also an enabler for vessels both motorized and no motorized to commence their activity of fishing within the fish
habitat area. The introduction of a public jetty is such that it has further enhancement outcomes within the fish habitat
area as boat wash, marine plant and marine invertebrate disturbance will not occur from current vessels landing
directly through shallow waters on to the beach.

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