Meeting papers

1. Executive Summary
Noosa’s natural amenity is one of the greatest contributors to its liveability, and the Eastern
Beaches Foreshore Reserves are an iconic part of Noosa’s coastal landscapes. These foreshore
reserves are also central to Noosa’s coastal neighbourhoods - most of our seaside residents and
communities live alongside them. They are central to the Noosa resident and visitor experience,
with many people walking through the Eastern Beaches Foreshore Reserves to access Noosa’s
beaches, enjoying the beautiful views the area has to offer.

Noosa’s dune foreshores are special significant environmental places too – many plants and
animals only live in coastal dunesthe ecosystems are unique to open coastal environments, and
they provide a critical link between the ocean and westward natural areas. Some species, such as
the Eendangered green loggerhead turtle and Vulnerable green turtle1, rely on healthy dunes and
beaches to reproduce. As climate change continues, the buffering functions of Noosa’s naturally
vegetated foreshores and dunes will play a critical role in our community’s resilience during storm
events.

The uniqueness specialness of Noosa’s Eastern Beaches Foreshore Reserves is well recognised
by Noosa people, past and present. For millennia Kabi Kabi (Gubbi Gubbi) people have lived and
worked on the Eastern Beaches, caring for Country through spiritual and environmental
stewardship and practices. Noosa Shire was designated as a Biosphere Reserve by the United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in 2007. This designation
highlights how important environmental and cultural protection is globally, and how it contributes to
Noosa’s livability and success. AMore locally, whencross the broader Noosa community was asked
, when asked what people valued most about the Noosa Shire, 77% of the 1655 respondents to
the Noosa Shire Liveability Survey rated ‘Elements of the natural environment (natural features,
views, vegetation, topography, water, wildlife)’ as most important2 (Noosa Shire Liveability Survey,
Noosa Council 2021).

The Eastern Beaches Foreshore Management PlanEastern Beaches Foreshore Reserves
Management Plan provides a clear plan for the management of s the eastern beaches foreshore
reserves for ecosystem health, coastal resilience, recreation and public access. The plan is in
response to the implementation action in the Noosa Environment Strategy 2019 to implement an
Eastern Beaches cCoastal rehabilitation program to improve the condition, species diversity and
stability of dune ecosystems and enhance resilience to climate change. The plan also responds to
the Noosa Coastal Hazards Adaptation Plan preferred management approach to “pursue dune
management and revegetation in high risk erosion areas as a critical and immediate priority for
Council and the community in helping to build coastal resilience and management of erosion risk.
describes the social and environmental values of the public land that make up Eastern Beaches
Foreshore Reserves, threats to these values, and the management actions needed to address
them.




1 Recovery Plan for Marine Turtles in Australia, Commonwealth of Australia 2017’.
2 Noosa Shire Liveability Survey, Noosa Council 2021

Eastern Beaches Foreshore Reserves Management Plan 2023                                       Page 3


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