Meeting papers

Coolum and North Shore Coast Care also lobbies for better protection and management of turtle
nesting sites and conducts community education on how the community can help turtles. They
work closely with Sunshine Coast Council, Department of Environment and Science, and Council’s
Natural Areas Team. The Natural Areas team also monitors North Shore Beach for turtle activity
during the laying and hatching season and responds to North Shore turtle strandings.


Working with educational institutions
Noosa Council has a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of the Sunshine Coast,
primarily targeted towards collaborative research projects, and this can extend to paid internships
and other workplace learning opportunities. Similar arrangements and on-ground projects could be
developed with other institutions such as TAFEs, and secondary and primary schools. Current
projects include 4D beach mapping with the University of the Sunshine Coast as well as satellite-
derived bathymetry trials as part of Council’s Coastal Monitoring Plan. For more information,
please see Section 5: Linked projects and programs and Appendix One: Linked projects and
programs


Environmental and social research opportunities
Council hosts or participates in several research projects, including turtle monitoring with local
volunteer groups, wallum frog monitoring conducted by Mary River Catchment Coordinating
Committee, and algae monitoring.

Other partners in the management of the EBFRs include Noosa & District Landcare, Noosa
Integrated Catchment Association, Unitywater, Sunshine Coast Council and Queensland
Department of Environment and Science.



Coastal Connect
Coastal Connect is a revegetation and regeneration project run by three Bushland Care Group
coordinators along the Eastern Beaches, .funding and managing bush regeneration contractor
labour days across the EBFR.

The Coastal Connect project is a successful collaborative project that has achieved strong
environmental outcomes. It requires significant volunteer time to develop projects, write and
administer grants, manage contractors and report on the grants. Alternative funding models,
administrative support from Council and further resources are needed to ensure the work
continues.

According to the Coastal Connect coordinators, project highlights include:

“…observing how our foreshore plantings at Seaview Creek have helped the dunes resist
significant weather events.”

“…contractor teams enabling work to be undertaken in difficult to access or hard to reach spots
and use herbicides, where volunteers don't have the training nor expertise.”

“...creating a balance between visual amenity along public pathways and protecting/regenerating
ecologically important riparian areas.”

Further budget for future years to support the program of works initiated though this volunteer-run
Coastal Connect program could provide for an increase in the number of labour days contractors
are funded to undertake rehabilitation work along the Eastern Beaches.
is.

Eastern Beaches Foreshore Reserves Management Plan 2023                                        Page 24


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