Meeting papers

    •   Maintaining economic functionality and minimising future climate-related damage costs,
    •   Embedding flexibility and adaptability,
    •   Ensuring intergenerational and intragenerational equity,
    •   Prioritising community consultation and involvement in early planning,
    •   Driving science driven decision-making,
    •   Minimising future costs to Council and creating co-benefits wherever possible.

Two of the most prominent messages received from the Noosa community during the CHAP’s
development align with this sentiment as they specifically emphasise the use of nature-based
solutions to protect human and natural systems from the impacts of coastal hazards: “...there is a
strong preference for nature-based solutions that fit with the look and feel of Noosa, and that
minimise impacts to natural environments” and “natural and scenic amenity assets are considered
to have the highest intrinsic value to the community” (Noosa Council CHAP, 2021:18). Dune
revegetation and management, which improves coastal protection while also contributing to
biodiversity conservation, is widely recognised as a nature-based solution.28

Sentiments shared through community input were further corroborated through technical studies
performed throughout Phase 2 to Phase 7 of the CHAP. The cost-benefit analysis29 undertaken in
2020 clearly demonstrated that dune revegetation, augmentation and management provide the
greatest economic net present benefit for managing coastal hazards along the Eastern Beaches.
Likewise, the CHAP Biodiversity Assessment30 found that increasing vegetation protection and
connectivity, protecting refugia and reducing existing threats can assist biodiversity in adapting to
climate change. Specifically:
    • “Expanding protected areas within and directly landwards of the coastal hazard zone,
       including public reserves and supporting private land conservation initiatives. Protection of
       more habitat within the coastal zone will help biodiversity assets adapt to coastal hazards
       and other climate change factors.”
    • “Regulating vegetation clearing within and directly landwards of the coastal hazard zone as
       protecting protection of remnant and regrowth native vegetation will be vital in increasing
       the capacity of biodiversity to adapt and persist in a changing climate. Maintaining and
       improving the condition of existing native vegetation is also likely to be more productive
       than restoring land that has been substantially modified.”
    • “Managing biodiversity threats within the coastal hazard area, particularly invasive species,
       fire, disease, reduced water quality and environmental flows to enhance adaptive capacity
       of biodiversity assets over the short to medium term.”
    • “Restoring habitats within and directly landwards of the coastal hazard area to improve
       landscape connectivity for climate change adaptation.”

In consideration of these findings, revegetation and management within the foreshore reserves and
dune area, have been identified as high priorities in the CHAP in response to increasing coastal
hazards:

“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 risks” (Noosa Coastal Hazards Adaptation Plan, 2021:40).

For beach locations, including the Eastern Beaches, developing a Coastal Foreshores
Management Plan was listed as a key Shire-wide action alongside a selection of other priorities
relevant to the EBFRs and EBFMPEBFRMP as noted below:
    • Implement relevant actions from Coastal Foreshores Management Plan once developed


28 Morris et al. (2021). The Australian Nature-Based Methods for Reducing Risk from Coastal Hazards. Earth

Systems and Climate Change Hub Report No. 26. NESP Earth Systems and Climate Change Hub, Australia.
29 Aither (2020). Noosa Shire Council – Coastal Hazard Adaptation Plan Cost benefit analysis: Final report

prepared for Noosa Shire Council.
30 BMT (2019:47). Noosa Shire Council CHAP Biodiversity Assessment.

Eastern Beaches Foreshore Reserves Management Plan 2023                                              Page 98


                                                                                                   Page 202 of 476