Advocating For Urgent Action On Burgess Creek Erosion

Amelia Lorentson33:12

In accordance with Chapter 5B of the Local Government Act 2009, I informed the meeting that I had a declarable conflict of interest in this matter. Item 10.1, advocating for urgent action on Burgess Creek erosion on this agenda. Is my brother Gabriel Cerasani resides in Sunrise Beach, and I also now own a property in Sunrise Beach, both in close proximity to Burgess Creek. Based on recent legal advice, I declare that I have a declarable conflict of interest in this matter. I also note that I had consistently declared my brother's property interests in relation to all matters concerning the Burgess Creek catchment, and Council has previously permitted me To remain in the meeting. To remain impartial. Sorry. In the meeting room when those matters have been considered. Although I have a declarable conflict of interest, I believe neither my brother nor myself have any. An interest greater than any other resident. Of the catchment area and I consider that I am able to remain impartial and act in the public interest therefore I will choose to remain in the meeting room however I will respect the decision of the meeting on whether I can remain and participate in the decision.

Jessica Phillips39:36

I move to that Council vote that the declarable conflict of interest by Councillor Stockwell be determined. In accordance with section 150 ES of the Local Government Act 2009 and having considered the Council's conflict of interest as described, it is decided that Councillor Stockwell may participate and vote on this matter relating to item 10.1, advocating for urgent action on Burgess Creek erosion.

Amelia Lorentson78:16

I do and I thank you for the respectful debate and conversation around the table. I just want to raise in 20-- in June 2022, I made the notice of motion and I made that notice of motion because I met with the CEO at the time, the Mayor. Time and with a lot of residents. And we were walking down the stees of Burgess Creek to access this beautiful beach and we couldn't actually access the beach. The erosion-- had reached staircase and also threatened at the time, you know, compromising potentially the integrity of David Low Way. So that's when I started in this space with Burgess Creek. The notice of motion, which was supported by almost unanimously at the time, I can't remember, but by full majority and ratified in June 2022, actually stipulated, A, actions to be undertaken by Council to manage the Burgess Creek mouth, including erosion management, short-term and long-term. It's four years down the track and we've got a ratified decision by Council and we're still in the planning stages and I'm very respectful of the staff time. I'm also very, very appreciative of the $100,000 funding that was committed by a state candidate and by the LNP, which is now seeing some real action in this space. The reason I brought this notice of motion is I have over the last two years and there are weekends where I think I'm just forever annoying our CEO. I meet with residents, I meet with people that used to work in fisheries. I meet with hydrologists that live in Sunrise Beach. I meet with Surfrider that I'm a member of. The World Surfing Reserve also sit in this space with Burgess Creek. It's not going away. And to me, my concern at the moment when I meet with them is you actually have to traverse the dual system. So we spend all this time residents the importance of our dual system, and yet I feel sometimes that the way that we're managing this particular location, I don't know, just need to lead with best practice and respect respectful of the CEO and the advice I've been giving to date, there might not be an environmentally great solution. So the notice of motion was simply that this is actually quite important to the community. It's quite an urgent issue. We're experiencing general erosion, not caused just by discharge from the treatment wastewater plant. It is stormwater. It is legacy night soils. Council are part of the problem, I'll say problem, but part of the discharge. So the notice of motion was simply let's talk to Unitywater, see if they'll come to the table and talk to our environmental staff who are experts in this space, there may be a solution, there may not be a solution. But waiting for the progress of the integrated Burgess Creek catchment plan, that's years away. And $100,000 in funding won't get us that far. We then have to then assess what are the long-term solutions and what cost is that. So to me, respect, again, great conversation around the table. I hope you support a really simple notice of motion to see whether we can go to step two and try to work out some solutions to help protect the dual system and also protect our infrastructure.

Amelia Lorentson40:27

I will and I'll just assume that the report has been read so I'm just going to speak to it. Today I'm asking Council to support a motion that's about one simple principle which is acting early and protecting a general system that's under clear and ongoing pressure. The past two years I've met regularly with residents and also with the CEO and I've raised concerns repeatedly about Burgess Creek and the catchment and its ongoing impact on the surrounding dune system. I've taken photos changes on site and I've continued to advocate for a realignment based solution to reduce erosion and protect both the environment and public access. The response I've been getting from Council has consistently pointed to cost but in my view framing this purely as a cost issue misses the bigger risk in front of us. A wait and see or a work as needed approach is in my opinion a responsible long-term management plan. It's reactive not preventative and in this case the cost of delay is not just financial. It's the ongoing loss of public trust and continued degradation of a fragile DUNE system and increasing pressure on puppet. Public access. Burgess Creek has been a persistent source of erosion with a creek mouth shifting and contributing to in my opinion significant degradation of the dune system. That erosion is not theoretical it's visible it's ongoing and it's accelerating in certain conditions. It's also impacting safe access for residents particularly at Sunrise Beach where people are increasingly required to move further along the Coast to safely access the water. I acknowledge that the Burgess Creek integrative catchment plan is underway supported by state funding and that provides an important pathway for a longer term solution but that process does not Resolve the immediate issue we are dealing with today. Right now we have active ongoing pressure on protected dune systems and risk to infrastructure and public access that require practical intervention. Coastal dunes are not just sand formations they're critical natural infrastructure. They protect our coastline from storm surge, erosion and extreme weather events. They support biodiversity, they stabilise the shoreline and provide a physical buffer that protects roads, assets and community access. When these systems are damaged, the impacts are cumulative. Once vegetation is lost and dune structure is weakened, recovery becomes significantly more difficult and significantly more expensive. I also want to note that the DUNE system adjoining the high water mark is what I've understood protected under the fisheries act 1994, which includes sensitive marine plants such as Main Roads and salt marsh. These are not incidental they're legally protected and environmentally critical systems that require careful management and protection. My concern is that continued erosion and unmanaged flows are placing these systems under increasing stress. We're also I one of want to be clear about responsibility. In my opinion, it's not appropriate for ratepayers alone to carry the financial burden of ongoing reactive works, particularly when upstream contributors, including discharges from the wastewater treatment system, are part of the broader catchment dynamics. A fair and reasonable cost-sharing approach should always be on the table when multiple parties contribute to the issue. In June 2022, Council by majority supported a notice of motion that I put forward requesting a report into Burgess Creek management plan. Including long-term and short-term erosions response and other obligations. Including other obligations. Despite this, the core issue of ongoing erosion and lack of coordinated short-term intervention remains unresolved. What I'm proposing today is not complicated, but I believe it's really necessary. In the short-term, we should be implementing some practical measures. For example, temporary sandbags to help guide flows and along with regular realignment. Or endometriosis. And ongoing monitoring. These are not unusual measures. They're standard coastal management tools that are used to stabilise dynamic systems while longer-term solutions are developed. Again, what I'm also proposing is that these works should be supported by a fair cost-sharing arrangement. In the medium long-term, to long term the integrated catchment plan gives us a really great opportunity to develop a more permanent and coordinated solution, but that must not become a reason to delay immediate action where the impacts are already occurring. As custodians of public Council has a responsibility to act proactively, not just when systems fails, but before they reach that point. Delay increases risk, increases cost and increases environmental loss. This is about protecting our dunes, maintaining safe public access. And ensuring that we're not transferring avoidable costs to future years and future ratepayers. Residents across the entire Shire deserve a safe, accessible beach. They deserve a coastline that's actively managed. This motion is now in motion. About taking practical, coordinated steps now, working with all the stakeholders, including Unitywater, and implementing short-term protections, and ensuring that we're properly funding and managing a system that's clearly under pressure. I just asked ask Council today to support the motion so we can move on a reactive approach to a more coordinated one. Thank you.