Meeting papers

8. Climate change
Our foreshores are at the front line of climate change with expected climate change impacts such
as sea level rise and increased storm intensity and frequency already being felt. Naturally
vegetated foreshores play a vital role in sustaining our coasts and protecting foreshore
communities as sea levels rise and erosion areas expand landward.


Objective
3.       Contribute to improved community climate change resilience and stability of coastal
         landforms, using nature-based methods, protecting and improving native vegetation and
         managing and enhancing public access.


Outcomes
     •   Preferred adaptation responses for the different localities described in the Noosa CHAP are
         expressed in reserve management and community coastal infrastructure design, delivery
         and maintenance.

     •   EBFRs are managed as natural areas as part of a nature-based approach to mitigating
         climate change and coastal hazards risks.

     •   Coastal climate change considerations are incorporated into foreshore reserve planning
         and management.

     •   Coastal climate change considerations are incorporated into disaster and emergency
         preparation and response

     •   Erosion and vegetation damage associated with public beach accesses and uses is
         reduced.

     •   The resilience of beach accesses to climate change and extreme weather is increased.
Noosa Coastal Hazards Adaptation Plan 2021
The Noosa CHAP identifies and maps Noosa’s potential coastal hazards risks, including sea level
rise, coastal erosion and storm tide inundation for three future timestamps: 2040, 2070 and 2100.
Virtually all the land in the EBFRs is identified as erosion prone, and the beach and some frontal
dunes and coastal creeks are identified as vulnerable to storm tide inundation during a major storm
event.

Community consultation for the Noosa CHAP strongly identified nature-based solutions as the
preferred response to climate change impacts. Many in the community consider that a nature-
based approach will best keep the natural look and feel and safeguard the natural environment,
while mitigating coastal hazard impacts. Building the health and natural stability of the natural
foreshores and vegetated dunes, and maintaining natural coastal processes of erosion and
accretion, are central to this approach.

The EBFRMP implements this aspect of the Noosa CHAP for the Eastern Beaches. The CHAP
implementation program lists and prioritises actions and tasks associated with the CHAP’s five-
year plan and adaptation pathway response for each locality. The EBFRMP has been identified as
an ‘Extreme’ priority addressing risks identified as ‘Very High’ through the CHAP process. Other
aspects of the Noosa CHAP are implemented under other plans and programs.




Eastern Beaches Foreshore Reserves Management Plan 2023                                      Page 24

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