Meeting papers

Emergency access
During recent natural disasters it became clear Council could benefit from improved emergency
access to Noosa’s beaches. Most beach accesses are inaccessible to even small All-Terrain
Vehicles. Access for light vehicles, large machinery or large trucks is very problematic. Even where
the accesses would otherwise be suitable, community infrastructure in nearby open spaces, road
reserves, or along the beach accesses complicate or entirely prevents their use by large or long
vehicles and machinery. Restricted access means more machinery movements along longer
lengths of beaches, with accompanying budgetary, environmental and beach user impacts.

Identifying a few simple, short beach accesses that could be modified to allow large machinery and
small vehicle access could help resolve this issue. Consideration of accompanying budget, as well
as environmental and beach user impacts is needed to better understand the costs and benefits of
improved emergency beach access.


EBFRMP Management activities
The following actions are identified for implementation:
Prioritisation:
• Immediate: < 1 year
• Medium:1 year – 3 years
• Long: 3 years – 5 years
• Continuing: Commenced and ongoing.

 Action                                                        Responsibility     Priority
 15.1. Identify site specific fire risk interface treatments   Environmental      Immediate
 as required by the Noosa Strategic Bushfire                   Services           Continuing
 Management Plan.

 15.2. Review incident management procedures,                  Environmental      Medium
 including for marine spills, marine debris events and         Services
 marine stranding, and update as required.                     Infrastructure
                                                               Services
                                                               Disaster
                                                               Management
 15.3. Publish a case study and video about the                Environmental      Video Complete
 pontoon and polystyrene removal to inform future              Services           Medium
 polystyrene pontoon incidents and cleanups.

 15.4. Review key beach accesses to enable improved            Environmental      Medium
 access by large machinery and trucks for disaster             Services
 response. Review and simplify nearby park, beach              Infrastructure
 access and street infrastructure to ensure their              Services
 location doesn’t prevent the use of the key beach             Emergency
 access by large machinery and truck for disaster              Services
 response.                                                     Surf Life Saving
                                                               clubs
                                                               Surf Life Saving
                                                               Qld
 15.5. Provide neighbours with information about               Environmental      Medium
 bushfire risk management and Council’s fire                   Services
 management program.




Eastern Beaches Foreshore Reserves Management Plan 2023                                        Page 63

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