Meeting papers

Data about creek mouth movement is being collected as part of current and planned coastal and
creek monitoring projects. Future creek mouth management will be better informed by this data.



Noosa Eastern Beaches Creeks - High Risk Erosion Prioritisation and Planning
Infrastructure Services is developing a High Risk Erosion Prioritisation and Planning project for the
Eastern Beaches coastal creeks. Since Noosa coastal residential development in the early 1960’s,
there have been issues with bank stability and sand slips along Eastern Beaches coastal creeks
ranging from the minor movement of sand to drastic slip failure. Sand slips have the potential to
impact public and private assets, and the natural assets that the Shire is known for. Presently
Council is undertaking bank stability works in public land at two of the Eastern Beaches coastal
creeks to protect private, public and natural assets.

Traditionally Council has undertaken these works as a reactive action when sand slips happen, but
this project proposed that Council adopts a process of assessing and prioritising works in the
Eastern Beaches creeks to enable proactive management. With this proactive approach, it is
anticipated that potential slips stability issues will be identified early, reducing the cost of
prevention, containment and rectification work, along with reducing social, environmental and
water quality impacts.


Integrated Water Quality Monitoring Program (Commenced)
Noosa Council’s Rivers & Coast team has developed and rolled out a three-part Integrated Water
Quality Monitoring Program and database. The following are details of the aspects of this program
that are near the Eastern Beaches Foreshores Reserves.

Coastal creek water quality monitoring: The Coastal Connect Bushland Care Waterwatch
volunteers are undertaking water quality sampling at Marcus Beach, Peregian Creek and
Castaways Creek, including pH, turbidity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, conductivity and salinity
are measured on a monthly schedule using a water quality meter. The baseline data is used to
inform water quality at a sub-catchment spatial extent and to understand the impact of restoration
works in the area.

Noosa Sewerage Treatment Plant monitoring: The Rivers & Coast team have recently begun
monthly water quality monitoring at several locations in Burgess Creek catchment. This includes
pH, turbidity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, conductivity and salinity laboratory analysis for
chlorophyll-a, nutrients and total suspended solids. Noosa Council is also investigating the
feasibility of developing a citizen science monitoring program in the Burgess Creek Catchment.

Recreational Water Monitoring Program: The program aims to monitor recognised recreational
water sites (specifically targeting primary contact recreation (the whole body or face is frequently
immersed in water) to mitigate potential risks to human health while educating the public on water
quality issues. In the Eastern Beaches, the wave zone at the mouth of Burgess Creek and the
swimming area near Sunshine Beach Surf Club are sampled for enterococci, an indicator
bacterium used to detect faecal contamination in waterways.

The program is conducted by Council’s Environmental Health Team in accordance with the
National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Guidelines for Managing Risks in
Recreational Water (2008), using a set of ‘trigger values’ published by Healthy Land & Waters.
Elevated levels of enterococci will initiate either: a warning trigger - prompting daily re-sampling of
a site; or an action trigger - prompting signage, public awareness, and further site investigation.
For more information [email protected]


Bushfire risk management (Commenced)
Since the 2019-2020 Black Summer, Noosa Council has significantly increased its capacity to
prepare for, and respond to, bushfire risk and bushfire emergencies in Council managed bushland.
Eastern Beaches Foreshore Reserves Management Plan 2023                                        Page 103


                                                                                                Page 207 of 476