August was a generally quiet month for Noosa Coast Guard, however, it provided an opportunity for crews to hone their skills and teach the newer members basic boating and technical skills.
On a wider front, the dredging of the river in the vicinity of Dog Beach was halted.
While there is a channel now open around Dog Beach, boaters have had to be cautious as swimmers regularly swim across the channel at the beach. The remainder of the river towards the Spit is increasingly difficult to navigate due to the shifting sand banks.
Coast Guard has welcomed the Marine Safety Queensland decision to reduce the boating speed in some parts of the Noosa River and the decision is timely with the approach of the September/ October school holidays.
The southern shore from Noosa Sound to Lake Doonella and the Dog Beach areas near the Noosa River entrance are now permanently limited to six knots.
“During the month, we were called on to provide assistance to a number of boaties,“ Flotilla Commander Lindsay Hall said.
“These involved escorts both in and out of the river and attending to mechanical issues that involved both towing and rafting.“
“While there have been a number of informal conversations with the staff of Marine Rescue Queensland (MSQ), no decisions have been made as to when Coast Guard Noosa will be merged into the new organisation. The legislation covering MSQ is not expected until mid 2024.
“We are grateful to our small team of sponsors for their support of our service to the community and thank you for your ongoing support.
“We continue to do the sausage sizzles at Bunnings on the second and fourth Monday of each month and we would like to encourage our marine assist members and supports to come and introduce yourselves to the BBQ crew,“ Mr Hall said.
