Marcus Beach Bushcare Association and Peregian Beach Community Association have joined forces to call on Noosa Council to take immediate action to stop residents from expanding their properties into beach reserves and degrading the natural habitat.
The groups’ presidents Judy Tulloch and Barry Cotterell, joined by consultant ecologist Chris Hansen voiced their concerns, along with a supporting petition, in a deputation to council’s Ordinary meeting last Thursday.
MBBA president Judy Tulloch said the groups had been contacted by members of the community after their calls to council to take action had gone unanswered and their own attempt to gauge community reaction to the issue through a petition had achieved almost unanimous support from participants.
We’re asking for a proactive approach from council to show leadership in maintaining coastal and other reserves, she said.
“We need clear policies and procedures and resources to implement them. It’s an operational matter. It does not need public consultation or a report of the coastal management plan to be completed before action is taken,“ she said.
Chris Hansen described the beachside dunes that were being impacted by encroachment as critical components that provide a reservoir of sand to replenish beaches following a storm surge or high tide erosion event, a barrier to further invasion and essential habitat for wildlife including glossy black cockatoos.
“They should be treated as important and delicate ecosystems,“ he said.
“We are talking about private encroachment on the dunes, on public land for which Council is trustee,“ PBCA president Barry Cotterell said.
“Council, by inaction, risks breaching its Trustee responsibilities and Council approval of excessive site coverage is encouraging encroachment.“
Mr Cotterell said privately owned barbecues, play equipment, chairs and tables, lawn, stairs, private access paths and non-native plants had been identified on public dunes and all adversely impacted the dunes.
“People need to access the dunes to use the beaches but there is a State Planning Policy (SPP) which needs to be complied with and that Policy regulates encroachments and infrastructure,“ he said.
“The eastern beaches’ communities have been trying to get Council to act on private infrastructure and encroachments on the dunes for years without success.
“Volunteers have worked for years to remove escaped and introduced weed pests and to replant native species with limited Council assistance.
“Encroachments, on the other hand, frequently remove natives species and introduce weeds as well as infrastructure for private use.
“There are individuals who live abutting this precious public land who respect and contribute to dune management. They are not the problem.
“The problem is caused by land owners acting in their private interest without authority or understanding of the damage they cause.
“Private infrastructure on the dunes with Private Keep Out signs have been reported to Local Laws who have partly acted and then backed off because they say that Council does not have a policy.
“PBCA, in November 2020, wrote a SPP compliant policy and sent it to Council but we continue to be told to wait for the Foreshore Management Plan.
“Well, we know that it exists but is still not public and, worse still, not implemented and apparently again deferred. Meanwhile, detrimental private infrastructure and encroachment continues to occur.
“Council inaction over the years has allowed many examples of serious dunal infrastructure and encroachment, especially at Sunshine Beach, which Council appears afraid to confront. Neighbours are now apparently pointing to the encroachments to justify further encroachments.
“Infrastructure can be appropriate when it provides the community access to the beach and the view and is located at a public beach access, provided it is appropriately built, relocatable and sited as far back from the high tide mark as is possible.
“It can be privately built and funded but must benefit the community.
“Its siting should also recognise the need to avoid dunal erosion and damage to flora.
“Planting on the dunes should only occur with Council approval and with appropriate native species.
“As Council staff are blaming a lack of policy for this debacle, we ask Councillors to make a policy, but then to require staff to get out of the office and implement it before it is too late.
“The alternative is to again delay and defer resulting in further damage and the community can continue to be disappointed.“
