Meeting papers

There is community concern about the creek mouths causing erosion to the frontal dunes. Other
community members are concerned about stormwater, rubbish and possibly polluted water running
across beaches, particularly in beach areas with pedestrian traffic. In some places mobile creek
mouths affect beach accesses and access onto, and along, the beach.


Burgess Creek
Burgess Creek and Burgess Creek Bushland Reserve receive treated effluent and untreated
stormwater and discharge it into the ocean. Doing so provides ecosystem benefits to the Noosa
community and the wider environment. Burgess Creek and wetlands receiving treated effluent and
untreated stormwater impacts on environmental and social values here, but the creek, wetlands
and surrounding bushland still retain environmental and social values, some due to the increased
flow.

Since urban development and associated stormwater infrastructure built in the 1960s and the STP
upgrade in 1986, the wetlands in the Burgess Creek catchment have absorbed and filtered the
urban runoff and treated water. The treated water and stormwater discharge into Burgess Creek
has significantly changed the creek and adjacent wetlands, meaning that the creek and wetlands
have been highly disturbed and modified. The amount, duration and consistency of flow has
dramatically increased, as has the area of permanently inundated land. Nutrient levels and other
pollutants have significantly increased, and water quality generally decreased. Species
composition has likely changed to be dominated by wetland and waterway species that can handle
both the permanent, high inundation, nutrients and reduced water quality.

Erosion
There are two erosion concerns near the mouth of Burgess Creek. Up to 270 metres of the frontal
dunes to the north of the creek mouth can be eroded during high flow events. The northern bank of
the creek near the mouth, east of the David Low Way, is eroding, due to a combination of
uncontrolled foot traffic down, and on, a very steep creek bank, and high peak waterflow. The
creek alignment at the mouth is highly mobile.

Water contact
Many people are accessing the creek mouth via the informal access off David Low Way. Contact
duration and types range from brief lower limb skin contact while crossing the creek, to prolonged
contacts that are likely to incur ingestion, such as adult supervised children and dogs playing in the
water, and rod fishing. Council recommends people do not put their head underwater in the creek,
and also provides signage and community updates during heavy rain events.

Protecting Noosa’s environment
While Burgess Creek itself is affected by treated water discharge, it helps protect Noosa River,
Laguna Bay and the Coral Sea. Noosa River’s good condition and B rating reported in its lower
reaches through the Healthy Land and Water Report Card 20 is unique in urban south-east
Queensland rivers. This is due in significant part to Burgess Creek receiving the treated
wastewater from the densely populated coastal areas rather than Noosa River. The higher levels of
infiltration, filtration and nutrient uptake afforded by the natural surfaces and native and weedy
vegetation in the bed, banks and surrounds of Burgess Creek reduces the amount of water,
sediment and nutrient entering the Coral Ocean and being swept north into Laguna Bay when
compared to a piped outfall, where this natural filtration would not occur. This in turn helps improve
inshore water quality and reduces algal blooms that may affect swimming and beach resources.




20 Healthy Land and Water (2021). Report Card 2021. https://hlw.org.au/report-card/


Eastern Beaches Foreshore Reserves Management Plan 2023                                       Page 54

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